Cecilia Yelton, second from the left, and Sally Stolly, pictured at the far right, were recognized at Monday’s Sexual Assault Awareness Month ceremony for their efforts to help implement Erin’s Law education efforts locally. Also pictured are, from the left, Debbie Brownlee, Dave Crissman and Michael Yoder. (EXAMINER PHOTO | MANDY LOEHR)
TCN’s annual Sexual Assault Awareness Ceremony highlights new program
Community partnerships were honored and brought into the spotlight during a ceremony Monday, April 22, for their efforts to keep children safe through new programming and the implementation of Erin’s Law in local school districts.
The TCN Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Crisis Center hosted Logan County’s second annual Sexual Assault Awareness Month Ceremony at the Bellefontaine City Council chambers.
The ceremony recognized local individuals helping to spearhead educational efforts now required through Erin’s Law, or House Bill 105, which was passed into law by Ohio legislators in December 2022, and has been implemented this current 2023-24 school year.
Ohio was the 38th state to pass Erin’s Law, spearheaded by Illinois resident Erin Merryn, a childhood sexual abuse survivor who now as an adult, has made it her mission to ensure that this legislation is passed in all 50 states to give children a voice and a brighter future.
Presenters noted that one in four girls and one in six boys have been sexually abused before their 18th birthday, according to statistics from erinslaw.org. While “stranger danger” is often taught to youngsters, 90 percent of children are sexually abused by someone they know and trust.
The new law mandates all schools present developmentally appropriate education to K-12 grade students about child abuse and teen dating violence, explained Deb Brownlee, TCN Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Crisis Center program manager.
“This is done in a very positive, empowering, non-threatening manner (especially for the younger children) as more about respecting their bodies and others and how to seek a trusting adult if something seems wrong,” she explained.
“We also have full disclosure about our lesson plans and parent choice as to allowing their child to participate or not.”
Brownlee said TCN started its local Violence Prevention Team in February due to Erin’s Law, and hired two new staff members to work specifically in this educational capacity — Aliya Furton, violence prevention coordinator; and Mallory Centers, violence prevention advocate.
Furton said she understands that parents might be pensive to hear about this topic being taught in schools, However, like Brownlee, she reiterated that instead of bringing up “taboo” topics like sexual conduct, consent and rape, the programming focuses on body positivity, promoting healthy relationships, and teaching about boundaries and children being able to identify “safe adults” in their lives.
The Violence Prevention Team has age-appropriate curriculum and programming for grades K-12 available to the local school districts.
“We want to empower our local schools with the tools they need, such as lesson plans and presentations. We can bring presenters, or their own teachers can use our lesson plans,” Furton said.
During Monday’s ceremony, Benjamin Logan Schools and the Mental Health Drug and Alcohol Services Board of Logan and Champaign Counties were each recognized for their efforts to lay the groundwork for implementing this school programming locally. Certificates of Excellence were presented to Sally Stolly on behalf of Benjamin Logan and Cecilia Yelton for the MHDAS Board.
“Benjamin Logan has been our first school to engage with us and MHDAS was the organization that brought us all together,” Brownlee said.
“School counselors have been asking for help with this topic for quite some time, so we are very happy to finally have these resources,” said Yelton, MHDAS director of community and school-based prevention.
The TCN program director noted that Stolly, director of administrative services, was instrumental in helping to get the programming rolling at Benjamin Logan.
Already this year, Benjamin Logan FFA created 31 fleece blankets for individuals housed in the Soteria House shelter for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault, fostering empathy and compassion among students, Stolly said. FFA members also participated in a strong showing for Teen Violence Prevention Month, sporting orange shirts and engaging in programming, “Love Should Never Hurt.”
In addition, Stolly related that students in grades 5-8 recently participated in a program facilitated by TCN relating to building healthy relationships, including fun and interactive activities and a speaker for the pupils.
“The program talked not just about romantic relationships, but about healthy relationships across the board and self-awareness,” she said.
