Teaching children that their bodies belong to them

More than one in three children will be sexually abused in their lifetime. That is according to Kristine Cassie, CEO of the Chinook Sexual Assault Centre. The organization has rolled out a new program called Who do you tell which is being implemented in schools to protect children from predators. Cassie says the key messages are that children’s bodies belong to them, child sexual abuse is never the child’s fault, and to always tell a trusted adult. She says the program, which is geared for kindergarten to grade 6, aligns with the Alberta Education Curriculum.
According to Association of Alberta Sexual Assault Services in Alberta alone, 34 per cent of people suffer sexual abuse before the age of 18. This statistic also says that 44 per cent of girls and 24 per cent of boys in Alberta experience child sexual abuse.

Heidi Echavarria

Heidi was born in Bogota, Colombia and lived there until she was 18, then she moved to Caracas, Venezuela where she finished her bachelor's degree in journalism. Since 2010 she covered political issues related to the government of former president Hugo Chávez and his political opponents, management, death and transition to a new government. Likewise, Heidi did research, wrote chronicles, reports and news in the social, community, and cultural areas. In 2019, Heidi, along with her husband and three children, moved to Aurora, Ontario where she worked at Teen Challenge Canada. In September 2023, she moved to Lethbridge, Alberta. Heidi also has a diploma in Addictions and Community Health. In 2024, she joined at Bridge City News team as a Video Journalist to produce a wide range of stories including those which are faith based glorifying Jesus Christ.

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