Welcome to the Child Safety Basics Curriculum

Surveys are a critical part of the Nest Program and allow us to ensure the effectiveness of the curriculum, fine-tune our materials, and better respond to your needs and to those of students.​​

We appreciate the time you will take to complete this brief survey before you begin the curriculum.

In order to effectively serve your students, it is important for you to be familiar with all of the lessons and videos prior to beginning your work with the program. 
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Please be aware that some of the activities contain sensitive language and graphic material, which may be difficult and/or triggering for some students.
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As you review the materials, you may find it necessary to make some changes, additions, or deletions to meet the needs of your class.

Be certain to contact your school counselor and your principal before implementing this curriculum. It is important to obtain approval and support. If possible, invite a counselor to the classroom during the program to support students, should they need to discuss sensitive information.

It is also important to check in with your counselor or principal to make yourself aware of any history or relevant details regarding students in your class who might be particularly sensitive to the information provided in the film and curriculum.

The following items are suggested questions:

1. Have any students or their family members been impacted by sex trafficking?
   
2. Have any students or their family members been victims of sexual abuse/assault?
   
3. Have any students or their family members been associated in any way with the criminal justice system?
   
4. Have any students been in the foster care system?
   
5. Are any students currently in the foster care system?
   

Be certain to tell students that if there are personal items they wish to discuss during the curriculum, they will be put in touch with the counselor. You should avoid any disclosures in the classroom so that you can fully attend to any child’s needs.
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We suggest you post the following information in your classroom for the duration of the curriculum if possible:

It is possible that a student might disclose sexual assault or other experiences that have been triggered by the material in this curriculum. Before beginning your work with the curriculum, it is vital that you review mandatory reporter laws and any reporter training you have experienced within your school or district.

In addition, it is essential that you consult appropriate school staff, as well as any required district staff, for clearance of this curriculum and discussion of school, district, local, state, and any other laws, regulations, and rules relative to mandatory reporting or other required action relative to disclosure and presentation of the content of the film and curriculum.
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If you are working with other teachers, facilitators, and or/counselors, review the procedures together, and clarify your team’s response to any student who might disclose.

1. Know Your State's Disclosure Laws

   Remember that states, and sometimes other jurisdictions, have their own laws related to mandatory reporting. Be sure to know the specifics of the laws, rules, and regulations in your area, school, and district. You should also discuss these laws with your school principal and any legal professionals your school recommends. One source for state laws appears below; however, this information must be reviewed in consideration of school, local, state, and any other laws, regulations, and rules.
   
2. Review the process for reporting within your school

   You might have to document the conversation or the indicators you witnessed, the date, and the time. Be sure to write your report as soon as possible, knowing that a specific time frame likely exists within which you must consult with your school leadership, notify families if necessary, and make the report to the appropriate agency or agencies in your state.
3. Remind students of your obligation as a reporter

   If you are a mandatory reporter, it is important to remind students of your obligation to report prior to discussing sensitive materials. By reminding students, you are keeping them safe, so they know what will happen if they tell you about any harm being done to them. It’s important that if a student does disclose, the student doesn’t find out after the fact that you are obligated to report, as this could be harmful and traumatizing to a student. Also, once a student discloses, be sure to remind the student again that you are a mandatory reporter and that you will be documenting the conversation and sending the information to a child protective service agency in order to make sure the child is kept safe.
4. Know how to handle student disclosures

   If a student discloses, it is important that you handle the situation with care and sensitivity, so as not to re-traumatize or harm the student. Your top priority if a student discloses is to make sure that you keep that student safe. For this reason, you should not press the student to reveal more than is comfortable for the student. If you do feel you need more information to form reasonable cause, get the basics: “who, what, when, and where.”
   
   It is important to remember and practice the following:

   1. Express your belief that the child is telling the truth.
      
   2. Avoid leading questions or strong reactions to what the child is telling you.
      
   3. Do not try to determine whether what the child is saying is valid or invalid.
      
   4. Do not call the parent before you report. Determine with your principal or school counselor if this is necessary at all. In some cases it is not safe, and best to avoid, unless the student has disclosed harm to self.
      
   5. “Less is more.” Don’t ask for too many details, as this could re-traumatize the child and interfere with further investigations.
      
   6. If the child recants, you must still make the report, but be sure to include the fact that the child recanted.
      
5. Learn more about the Signs of Sexual Exploitation

Depending on your school and/or state policy, this curriculum may require that you acquire permission from guardians before teaching. It is important that parents and guardians be informed and prepared so they can opt their children into this incredibly vital curriculum. It is also important to give parents as much information as possible about the topic so that they can continue to have open conversations at home to support their students as they explore this topic.
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You can download our opt-in letter/form below, however, this is only a sample.
Please consult your school administrators (and if required, district administrators) to determine whether this opt-in notice is acceptable and will comport to school and district requirements.