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Sheldon ISD completes WHO presentations
  
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Pre-kindergarten through eighth-grade students in the Sheldon ISD participated in more than 200 presentations of We Help Ourselves (WHO) during the fall semester.
“WHO is a program that helps children learn how to deal with areas such as child abuse, sexual assault, peer pressure and harassment,” said Cindy Campbell, coordinator of couseling and guidance. “Over 4,600 of our students participated in the WHO program this fall, gaining skills that could help them in situations that are potentially dangerous.”
Based on three premises --- know, do and tell--- the program came about through the work of a Dallas Child Abuse Committee in 1980 which was committed to teach children how to avoid areas of victimization from child abuse and neglect to assault, rape and even kidnapping. The committee came up with the idea of a grant that would allow the creation and development of just such a program, and WHO was born. The original curriculum was written by JoAnn Henderson Martens and funded by the Texas Department of Human Resources in 1981. In 1997, the program was revised to include information on the problems that children face today. The WHO program is active not only in the Houston area but in other rural and metropolitan areas in Texas and nationwide.
“The issues dealt with are often sensitive, but some are just common sense reinforcement of issues of safety,” said Campbell. “For example, we talk about stranger dangers, but stress that even people we know can act inappropriately and that the important thing is to recognize the action is wrong and to report it to a responsible adult. We teach safety issues such as walking against traffic, code words and safe houses. Phone safety and home safety issues are also addressed. Parents have access to information about the same issues that they can use when talking to their children, thus reinforcing the concepts discussed during the WHO sessions. We want, and need, the parent to be an active partner in this process.”
District counselors use multiple media when talking about issues with the children depending on their grade level. A combination of videotapes, puppets, discussion, and follow-up materials are used to help children learn techniques in personal safety. All instruction is non-threatening and focuses on the three premises: Know, recognize a potentially dangerous situation; Do, have a plan for personal safety and positive action; and Tell, ask for help.
“We are very pleased to offer this program in our district and feel that we are helping parents keep their children safer,” said Campbell. “Our counselors do an excellent job.”
“WHO is a program that helps children learn how to deal with areas such as child abuse, sexual assault, peer pressure and harassment,” said Cindy Campbell, coordinator of couseling and guidance. “Over 4,600 of our students participated in the WHO program this fall, gaining skills that could help them in situations that are potentially dangerous.”
Based on three premises --- know, do and tell--- the program came about through the work of a Dallas Child Abuse Committee in 1980 which was committed to teach children how to avoid areas of victimization from child abuse and neglect to assault, rape and even kidnapping. The committee came up with the idea of a grant that would allow the creation and development of just such a program, and WHO was born. The original curriculum was written by JoAnn Henderson Martens and funded by the Texas Department of Human Resources in 1981. In 1997, the program was revised to include information on the problems that children face today. The WHO program is active not only in the Houston area but in other rural and metropolitan areas in Texas and nationwide.
“The issues dealt with are often sensitive, but some are just common sense reinforcement of issues of safety,” said Campbell. “For example, we talk about stranger dangers, but stress that even people we know can act inappropriately and that the important thing is to recognize the action is wrong and to report it to a responsible adult. We teach safety issues such as walking against traffic, code words and safe houses. Phone safety and home safety issues are also addressed. Parents have access to information about the same issues that they can use when talking to their children, thus reinforcing the concepts discussed during the WHO sessions. We want, and need, the parent to be an active partner in this process.”
District counselors use multiple media when talking about issues with the children depending on their grade level. A combination of videotapes, puppets, discussion, and follow-up materials are used to help children learn techniques in personal safety. All instruction is non-threatening and focuses on the three premises: Know, recognize a potentially dangerous situation; Do, have a plan for personal safety and positive action; and Tell, ask for help.
“We are very pleased to offer this program in our district and feel that we are helping parents keep their children safer,” said Campbell. “Our counselors do an excellent job.”
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