1 t WV police program helps to educate loca! families THE MASS media are pep- pered daily with accounts of child abuse. News Reporter Local community social support services ranging from police to hospitals have responded to the ongoing crisis with various levels of educational support. One strand in the North Shore social safety net is a West Van- couver Police-initiated schoo! lec- ture program. The police department has been going into West Vancouver elementary and junior high schools with a lecture and a child sexual assault manual since the last school year. "The manual, published December 1986, -is' geared for parents to learn how to cope with the problem ard recognize it. ‘These things do occur and the kids are getting educated about them. The next step now is to tell the parents what they should do if this happens to their kids.’ West Vancouver Cst. Dave Bingham “These things do occur and the kids are getting educated about ~ them. The next step now is to tell the parents what they should do if this happens to their kids,”’ said West Vancouver Police Cst. Dave Bingham. According to Bingham, the numbers of cases’ being reported are up dramatically compared to pre-1980 reports of child abuse. A once unspoken issue is now being addressed. ‘‘These problems have already been there in society. Society is now admitting to the problem and dealing with it,’’ said Bingham. But he said as children become more aware of the issue through the school system, the importance of all members of a family know- ing how to respond to the disclosure of child abuse becomes critical. Said Bingham: ‘‘Often parents may suspect something is going on, but they are frozen and don’t know how to react, or they don’t believe the child at all.” Bingham offers the following checklist as procedure to follow in the case of a child abuse disclosure. * Remain calm and reassure the child that the right thing has been. done in telling you about it. * Immediately call the Ministry of Social Services and Housing by dialing the operator and asking for Zenith 1234, the Helpline for Children. Call local police. The Family and Child Service Act stip- ulates that any person who has reasonable grounds to believe a child may be in need of protection must report to the authorities. If you act in good faith, you are pro- tected from civil action. * Do not question the child at length. Leave the detailed ques- tioning to those qualified. * Tell the child that it is not his or her fault that you have secured help. * Remember to respect the child’s privacy and avoid discussing the incident with anyone at school or in the neighborhood. * Do not assume the abuse was a terrible experience. * Do not criticize the offender. He or she is probably someone the child knows and trusts. * Do not project your reactions, such as revulsion or moral in- ‘dignation, to the child. * Do not use words such as incest or rape which may alarm the child. * Do not make promises:you can’t keep, such as ‘‘This will never happen again.” Elaine Henders, a social worker with the LGH Chiid Protection Team, works with children admit- ted to the hospital in a crisis situa- tion. “There is more awareness out in the community. The North Van- couver school district has a very good program in place running 25 - Wednesdays. Octoher 21, 1987 - North Shore News CSBs and RASPs PAGE 30 NEWS photo Mike Wakelletd WEST VANCOUVER Police Cst. Dave Bingham covers the ABCs of child abuse with a class at West Van- couver High School. The police department lecture program is built around a manual éntitled Child Sexual Assault, As well as bringing the message to children, Bingham believes the family as a whole should be more informed and aware about child abuse. from kindergarten to Grade 12 and parents are involved,’’ she said. To get the message out to parents and children alike throughout the North Shore, an inter-agency committee, including police, the two school districts, physicians and community health nurses, meets every second month to plan and coordinate community education and advocacy. North Vancouver District libraries offer a Child Abuse And Neglect booklist for a more detail- ed understanding of the issues in- volved in child abuse. 4, fin your Ski .oHe. grew lf: budget? The affordable alternative * ski equipment that fits for two 10 to 12 years. * Skis that are properly maintained 1800¢ x Skis that are the proper length x Boots that are the correct size all 1317 the time * You may exchange boot sizes and co ski lengths at any time * .. and keep them at home all for one low price Piano Vocalist Performed by Patsy Goto YES, YOU CAN GET HIGH PERFORMANCE GEAR ON OUR PROGRAM Drop in, relax and enjoy some appetizers or desserts while Patsy Goto entertains YOU | October 20th-24th 27th-31st aa KIS LSIRUET SST EGFE ESTINATION SKI RENTALS 1160 Marine Drive North Vancouver D> 984-4394 984-7191