‘An educated child is a protected child’
Fundraiser will benefit program, services designed to prevent child sexual abuse
(The sexual assault centre) gives them somewhere where people can understand, where a supportive ear is available.
Hundreds of supporters have combined to sell out the Saskatoon Sexual Assault & Information Centre’s 14th annual Luncheon en Vogue fundraiser (Friday, 11:30 a.m., TCU Place).
SSAIC public education coordinator Heather Pocock spoke with the Saskatoon StarPhoenix in advance of the fashion show and luncheon. Luncheon en Vogue is the SSAIC’s main fundraiser.
Proceeds will help the I’m the Boss of Me child sexual abuse prevention program as well as crisis services and counselling. Now in its 12th year, I’m the Boss of Me is a puppet show presented to Grade 4 students across Saskatoon.
Last year, it was performed 113 times and was seen by about 3,000 students.
“In the early years, absolutely there was some resistance,” Pocock said, noting teachers were often unsure or uncomfortable with the subject matter. Last school year, I’m the Boss of Me was hosted in almost all public schools and around 60 per cent of Catholic schools. “An educated child is a protected child,” Pocock said.
Since I’m the Boss of Me was created, the general message has stayed the same.
The show tries to help kids, most around nine or 10, understand what sexual abuse is, that it’s not the victim’s fault, and that it’s important to tell someone. Over time, the lesson has been tweaked to account for children having their own phone and internet access, and being on social media daily. Teachers talk about how much the kids know, what they’ve been exposed to, what they talk about.
There is no such thing as a typical day at the sexual assault centre.
“Sometimes you think you’ve heard everything and something more unusual walks through the door,” Pocock said.
In addition to educating youngsters and offering assistance in the “time-sensitive” 24 to 48 hours after a sexual assault, “the bulk of our work” — around 60 per cent — is with adults who were sexually abused as children, she said.
“It gives them somewhere where people can understand, where a supportive ear is available.”
Many of the fashion show’s models are more used to wearing protective vests and gun belts during work hours than prancing on a runway, but seeing Saskatoon police officers strut their stuff and support the centre is always a highlight, Pocock said.
The ovations the models receive, she added, “shows the support of the work they’re doing. I think a lot of them have fun and get to be seen doing good community service.”