Child Abuse Prevention

What the Prattville YMCA Does to Protect Children

Screening - All new employees and volunteers undergo a background check prior to hiring, and they must provide at least four references. All staff and volunteers must also go through new checks on a biannual basis, or if they're returning to the Y after a 90-day break or transferring into a licensed program. Our members and guests are also screened through a Raptor system daily that integrates with The National Sex Offender Registry. Read more about Raptor below.

Training - Comprehensive online and in-person child abuse prevention training is mandatory to all YMCA employees and volunteers, and they are required to refresh their training annually. The goal is to educate on inappropriate conduct, while also teaching the warning signs of abuse.

Reporting - Should any allegation arise, the YMCA will proactively work with the authorities and all parties involved to respond in a prompt, thorough and empathetic manner.

Raptor - This web-based platform identifies unwanted visitors instantly by scanning driver’s licenses and state-issued ID’s and keeps unwanted guests from entering our YMCA. If a potential threat is identified, the Raptor system will send an instant alert to designated management staff. If necessary, law enforcement will be notified.

Policy - The Prattville YMCA maintains a zero tolerance policy toward child abuse and child endangerment, and staff are to report any questionable behavior they see, or violations of their Employee Code of Conduct.

Auditing -To ensure we continuously uphold the highest standards in child safety and protection, we have developed internal teams that routinely audit our operations, and utilize a Know Your Score! assessment tool developed by Praesidium, a consulting firm that specializes in abuse prevention and risk management.

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Warning Signs of Sexual Abuse in Children

Anxiety, chronic stomach pain, or headaches may occur.
"Too perfect" behavior, withdrawal, fear, depression, unexplained anger, and rebellion.
Nightmares, bed-wetting, falling grades, cruelty to animals, bullying, being bullied, fire setting, runaway, and self-harm of any kind.
Sexual behavior and language that are not age-appropriate.
Use of alcohol or drugs at an early age.
Could have bruising, bleeding, redness and bumps, or scabs around the mouth, genitals, or anus.
Urinary tract infections, STDs, and abnormal vaginal or penile discharges can also be signs.

How to Report Abuse

You do not need proof that abuse if occurring to make a report, only reasonable suspicion. Reporting child sexual abuse is key in preventing and intervening in abuse.

If a child discloses abuse to you:

Give attention, compassion, and belief.
Listen calmly and openly.
Don't fill in gaps.
Don't ask leading questions about the details.
Ask open-ended questions like, "What happened next?"
Don't overreact.
Say, "I believe you" and "what happened is not your fault."

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The Facts about Child Sexual Abuse

1 in 10 children are sexually abused before their 18th birthday.

60 million adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse are walking among us; 80 percent never reported their abuse

In 90% of cases, the child knows and trusts the abuser.

Children are victims of 70% of all reported sexual assaults.

40% of sexual abused children are abused by an older or larger child.

Survivors of child sexual abuse have a higher likelihood of psychological disorders, excessive drug and alcohol use, eating disorders, suicidal tendencies, and violence.

Approximately 30% of children who are sexually abused are abused by family members.

False reports are rare. Research shows that only 4 to 8% of child sexual abuse reports are fabricated.

In Alabama, any person having reasonable cause to believe that a child has been subjected to abuse or acts of abuse should immediately report this information to the County Department of Human Resources Office or local law enforcement agency. If the child is in immediate danger, call 911. A concerned caller does not need proof to report an allegation of child abuse and can make the report anonymously.

Parent Resources

The Prattville YMCA gives protection talks to all program participants quarterly. These talks cover topics such as how to handle bullies, how to report abuse to an adult, and much more. Click the button below to see our most recent topics.