United Open Arms
Supporting CSA/SA survivors with therapy funds and
educating for safe spaces with care and compassion
CSA/SA Education & Training
CSA (Child Sexual Abuse) education, and awareness training. Is it for me?
Taking CSA training is not an admission of guilt or something to be ashamed of but instead a pro-active educational approach to a real and serious issue.
CSA awareness training like Ministrysafe's online course, Childs Lures Prevention Parent's Guide and Student's Workbook, or Darkness to Light's online course provides parents with the tools needed to protect their children. If parents are in a pro-active, educated, and "trust but verify" mode the danger posed by a potential CSA offender is very low.
One good thing about non-parents taking CSA awareness training is that they could be in a position to help with the majority of child abuse, which is committed by the victim's own parents and relatives. Thus they might be a child's only hope of help. (Source; Perpetrators by Maltreatment Type and Relationship to Victims, 2008)
CSA awareness training doesn't have to be our main focus but can be part of an effective system of checks and balances quietly working in the background for the good of our children.
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Darkness to Light Click to visit "Darkness to Light" website - see below pre-paid training link.
Part of our mission at UOA is to support and encourage ongoing education. Cost can be an obstacle and UOA wants to remove this obstacle. By accessing this training through the following link, there will be no charge to you. Click the following link to launch a document with a pre-paid Darkness to Light - Stewards of Children training link embedded. Darkness to Light Training
This training takes approximately 2.5 hours. You will receive a certificate from Darkness to Light upon successful completion of the course and quiz.
MinistrySafe Click to visit MinistrySafe.
Some might wonder, "I am not a minister so why should I take MinistrySafe training?" In a phone conversation with MinistrySafe they said they looked at the most stringent laws specifying CSA training requirements in the USA and developed training to meet the requirements outlined. The most stringent law they found is the Texas Youth Camp Act.
The Texas Youth Camp Act doesn't apply to religious ministries only but also includes settings like Boy Scouts, YMCA camps, etc. MinistrySafe considers their CSA training to be applicable training for volunteers and staff, not only those in the ministry. In other words it is good pro-active training for anyone who has contact with children. A number have taken the MinistrySafe online course and thought it was very good, even for parents.
The training takes about 1-2 hours, then there is a simple test. MinistrySafe will e-mail you a certificate of completion.
Reducing The Risk Click to read articles and take quizzes pertaining to CSA awareness and safety.
Child Lures Prevention Click to visit Child Lures Prevention.
Child Lures Prevention has interesting workbooks available for parents and children. There are a lot of links on Child Lures Prevention including various hotlines and links.