— Little Warriors educates adults to help protect children

Little Warriors is a new charity launched on March 5, 2008 in Edmonton with a mandate to teach adults how to help protect children from sexual abuse.

Little Warriors is a charitable organization with a national focus that educates adults about how to help prevent, recognize and react responsibly to child sexual abuse. Little Warriors also provides information about the prevalence and frequency of child sexual abuse and information about healing and support resources.

Child sexual abuse is a topic many people are uncomfortable talking about, but it impacts many segments of our society; it has no socio-economic, racial, or religious boundaries and it impacts children in our community.

Statistics show that one in three girls and one in six boys will be the victim of an unwanted sexual act before their 18th birthday. Ninety five percent will know their perpetrator. The good news is, unlike many other childhood afflictions, child sexual abuse can be prevented.

“It is time for adults to become educated so we can all help prevent child sexual abuse, “ said Little Warriors founder/chair Glori Meldrum. “Little Warriors will help open the dialogue about child sexual abuse and will teach an acclaimed prevention program that will give adults the tools to help keep children safe from sexual predators.”

The Stewards of Children Program, developed by the US organization Darkness to Light, is a child sexual abuse prevention program that is taught around the world to educate adults about how to help prevent, recognize and react responsibly to child sexual abuse. The Stewards of Children Program is designed for all adults including parents, teachers, staff and volunteers with organizations that serve children and youth.

“We believe child sexual abuse can be prevented through education,” said Meldrum. “It all starts with being able to recognize the signs, symptoms, risk factors and prevention strategies relating to child sexual abuse.“

Little Warriors is different from other organizations that deal with the issue of child sexual abuse because its primary mandate is to help to prevent child sexual abuse by educating adults. Little Warriors has also developed a web site (www.littlewarriors.ca) that offers useful information for survivors, families and adults who want information about how to help prevent child sexual abuse, the prevalence and frequency of child sexual abuse, and information about healing and support resources.

Little Warriors is guided by four pillars: providing information about child sexual abuse, providing child sexual abuse prevention strategies to adults through education, providing information about healing and support resources and helping to protect children from child sexual abuse.

Visit littlewarriors.ca to register, donate, purchase merchandise and become involved!

-- Glori Meldrum