Special Needs CAP
CAP for Children with Special Needs
A community prevention project teaching children with developmental disabilities to prevent verbal, physical and sexual assault.
Signs of Abuse
Children may already exhibit some of these behaviors as a result of their disability. Be observant. Watch for drastic or abrupt changes in behavior.
- Knowledge of sexual behavior at an inappropriate age.
- Aggressive or withdrawn behavior.
- Fear of going to a certain place or being with a certain person or fear of adults in general.
- Unexplained injuries.
- Self-destructive or self-mutilating behavior.
The Facts
One out of every four girls and one out of at least every 5-7
boys is sexually assaulted before the age of 18.
Unfortunately, recent research indicates children with special needs have shown an even higher incidence of assault than "normal functioning" children which suggests that children with learning problems may be more vulnerable to abuse.
Over 80% of child sexual assault victims are attacked by someone
they know and trust.
Studies indicate that persons with a developmental disability know their offender 90-99% of the time. Children with special needs are particularly vulnerable because they have to depend on many different people to care and provide for them.
It is important to remember that sexual assault is not motivated primarily by sex. It is an act of power. Perpetrators want to control and dominate their victims. They seek victims who will not resist or put up a struggle.
ADULT EDUCATION COMPONENTS
The CAP Project for Children with Special Needs has three components:
- Teacher In-service
- Parent Program
- Children's Workshop
Teacher/Staff In-service Training and Parent Program include:
- Overview of child sexual/physical assault.
- Analysis of effective prevention strategies and the CAP approach: A reduction of children's vulnerabilities.
- Detailed description of children’s workshops.
- Crisis intervention guidelines - the appropriate responses when a child discloses abuse.
- Information on the identification of possible child victims, behaviors and characteristics children tend to exhibit.
- Legal responsibilities of reporting and protection for those who report.
- Community resources and referrals.
Children's Classroom Workshops:
- 5 sessions per classroom over a one-week period. The sessions are 30 minutes in length.
- Each day readiness materials prepare students for roleplay situations, and follow-up materials provide review.
- The roleplays used in the workshop series are typical assault situations. They provide a focus for students to learn effective skills for preventing and handling such situations.
- The three roleplays used are
- a bully scene
- a stranger assault
- a situation involving a known adult
- The curriculum does not frighten children with stories but uses non-threatening language to educate them in the prevention of strategies assault. It was developed and written specifically for children with learning problems.
- The curriculum has been piloted and evaluated by National CAP. Children reported significantly higher levels of knowledge and awareness about assault prevention after Special Needs Workshops.