V O L U M E 4 , I S S U E 2, P A G E 3
The children watched and listened intently as the Kids on the
Block Puppets performed at their Tulsa elementary school
last fall, talking about the difficult subject of sexual and physical
abuse. Puppet Joanne told her puppet friend Stephen how she
was confused and afraid when her mothers boyfriend touched her
in the places her bathing suit covers.
At first I thought he was nice and I was happy because he took us
places and stuff, the puppet said. But later I felt bad about what he
was doing to me. The puppet said she finally got the courage to tell
a trusted adult what happened to her. Telling was the hardest thing
I ever had to do, but it was the best thing I ever did! the puppet
proclaimed.
.
After the show, the children asked the puppets questions about how
to handle certain situations. Later, they were asked to write letters
to the puppets, telling them what they learned and if they had problems
they needed help solving. Sixteen children at that one school
told the puppets and their school counselor about sexual abuse that
happened to them. The children were referred to the Child Abuse
Network and criminal investigations began. Services were provided
to children and families where appropriate and criminal charges filed
where evidence warranted.
Assistant District Attorney Ben Fu prepared to prosecute one of the
cases where the stepfather of one girl had been molesting the child
for years, He said he was amazed when he saw the letter the child
had written to the puppet describing what he had done to her in her
8-year-old words.
As a prosecutor, he had seen how difficult it was for children to
speak of abuse. Fu said he planned to use the letter that the girl
wrote to the puppets in court.
I felt if a jury saw this little girls letter to the puppets, they would
put the perpetrator in prison for a long, long time, he said.
Faced with that and other evidence, the defendant pled guilty to four
counts of child sexual abuse and was sentenced to 25 years in prison.
The girl did not have to testify about the abuse in front of her stepfather
and a courtroom of strangers. She was given access to counseling
and services.
After securing the plea, Fu asked the puppeteers from Tulsas Parent
Child Center what he needed to do to see that their puppet show
was presented in every school in the county.This puppet show, this
simple puppet show, has a major impact. It gives children the courage
and the knowledge to tell what is happening to them, Fu said.
The puppets are one of many programs the Parent Child Center of
Tulsa offers in our community to prevent child abuse and neglect.
Fifty shows about sexual and physical abuse were presented at
elementary schools last year, to teach children how to get help by
telling a trusted adult.
Puppets Teach Kids How To Get Help, Stop Sexual and Physical Abuse
One school counselor wrote of the impact the program had at her
school. Your presentation was perfect. Second graders were totally
focused and engaged. One of my second graders talked to me after
the presentation about a sexual abuse situation. Your presentation
provided the medium for this child to share and for me to take the
necessary action to provide appropriate follow up and support for
the child.
Another school counselor wrote: There was such an impact, you
could hear a pin drop and many students came to see me later to
discuss physical and sexual abuse they had experienced . . . I am
already scheduling the puppets return next fall . . .
To schedule a
Kids on the Block puppet presentation at a school,
camp or other venue, or to learn about how to volunteer as a puppeteer,
contact Jacque Gallegos at the Parent Child Center,918-599-7999 or
Jgallegos@parentchildcenter.org
Major funding for the Kids on the Block puppet presentation is
provided by the Sherman Smith Family Foundation.
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