European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - March 7, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 16 the stars and stripes Friday March 7, 1986 s8.s photo by Gus Schuettler a a Shaver right and Mary Ann Forgey use puppets to help warn children about touches from strangers. Body safety program Aims to Avert abuse by Mary Hladky staff writer f or once quiet reigned in the  area s preschool in Wiesbaden Germany. A normally wriggling squealing Bunch of 3 and 4-year-Olds had put aside building blocks Jet plane models and dolls to watch three colourful puppets. But the program was no Ordinary child s play. Instead it was a serious attempt to help children protect themselves from sexual abuse. It is not a sex education program said Mary Ann Forgey army family advocacy coordinator for the Wiesbaden military Community. It is a body safety program. The primary purpose of this program is to prevent abuse from happening in the first  Usa eur selected Forgey and Ava Shaver army child development services coordinator for Wiesbaden to learn about a program developed in 1981 by the children s self help project in san Francisco. After attending training sessions last september in the states with representatives from nine other army communities Forgey and Shaver began the experimental program in the Wiesbaden area. By the end of March As Many As 500 children Ages 3 to 12 will have participated. Forgey and Shaver then will Send the last of four reports to the department of the army where officials will decide if the program will be used worldwide by the army. If so it will become the army s first coordinated sexual abuse prevention program. Forgey and Shaver think the san Francisco program the army plan is based on is the Best one Ever developed. They also believe children need this kind of education. That s because one of every four girls and one of every nine boys will be sexually abused before they re 18, generally by someone they know according to the san Francisco program. While parents warn children to beware of strangers they Overlook the reality that Between 75 and 85 percent of the people who abuse children Are not strangers. They Are people children know and Trust Forgey said. The Pilot program takes that into account. It teaches children to Trust their feelings about people and to extricate themselves from bad situations including those involving a close relative or family Friend. The program has three parts first Forgey and abuse hmm a egg Omi j  Jshii i my Mairim my child advocacy Shaver explain it to preschool or Day care Center staff so they can reinforce prevention ideas taught the children. They then conduct a separate session for parents explaining the program and answering questions. Finally they conduct two sessions with children who must have parental permission to attend. Five child development Center staff members and an aide crowd around a table at the Back of the Haine Berg housing area preschool to watch purple puppet As the bad Guy Green puppet As a 4-year-old child and yellow puppet in Many roles As they act out the tragedy of abuse an older sister tickling her Little sister until she cries. A bully at school threatening a Young child. Uncle Sam fondling his Niece before a family dinner. A baby Sitter asking a child to undress for Story time. A father asking his Young daughter to play the love game and keep it secret from Mother. In each Case the child is victimized. But each skit is repeated with changes to show children How to protect themselves and get help. Staffers give the program High Marks. I think it s a Good program said Margaret Hanscom Center director. With what is going on in society today it is Good to Tell them they must Trust their own  one Center staffer worried that the skits might prompt children to make up tales. Children Don t lie about abuse Forgey said. If a child tells about it staffers should believe and take Steps she said. About 60 parents listened attentively As yellow puppet purple puppet and Green puppet repeated the show in the Wiesbaden army Community services building. Forgey Shaver and the puppets explained what private parts Are and that no one has a right to touch them if the child does t want it or like it. We can t supervise children 24 hours a Day Forgey said. People distance themselves from this Issue by saying it could t happen to my child or it could t happen in this neighbourhood. So kids have incomplete information. We can Tell children not to take Candy from strangers but it is a lot More difficult to Deal with talking about touching private  parents had questions. Have children become afraid of a father or Grandfather because of the program one Mother asked. Forgey said research in san Francisco has shown that children Don t react that Way if abuse is not occurring in their family. I Don t think we will end up scaring them about All fathers or baby Sitters or Uncle Sams she said. If it is not part of their experience they will not take it in that  the program was Well received by the parents too. Out of 88 children attending various preschool programs parents of 86 signed permission slips. I think it is a Good idea said master sgt. Jim warehime of the 497th reconnaissance technical group at Schierstein. Warehime attended with his wife Ginger. They Are the parents of a son 2, and a daughter 4. The puppets will help her comprehend More than if you just sit the children Down and talk to them warehime said. But parents have to talk to the child  children grinned and giggled As the puppets Sang the touching song. Most eagerly volunteered to Point out the puppet s private parts and vied for a Chance to participate in skits. They also Learned about Good touches and bad touches. A heart touch is one we like and makes us feel Good. A no touch is one we Don t like and want to Stop. A question Mark touch is confusing. We May like it at first or the person doing it but later we change our minds and want it to Stop. Forgey and Shaver repeated some lessons so often they became a Litany. If someone touches children and they Don t like it they can Tell their Mother father teacher or special Friend. If the first person does t believe keep telling until someone does. They can say no or  they can walk or run away. They can Tell someone they Trust. Above All it is never the child s fault if someone touches them in their private parts. It need not be kept secret. Most of the 3 and 4-year-Olds seemed to understand the key Points. They could identify their private parts were experts at shouting no and knew who to Tell. But the lessons weren t As much fun As the puppets. For 4-year-old Emily Molina purple puppet was the Star. I like purple puppet because he is purple she said. Four year old Star Maynor favored yellow puppet saying i liked it when yellow puppet yelled Stop " the touching song chorus there Are three kinds of touches this we know a heart a question Mark and no no Means Stop heart Means go and question Mark Means i Don t know 1 now if i tickle you and you say no and i Don t Stop where should you go you could go and Tell somebody you know and keep very Safe from the tickle-0 2 what if a bully pushes you Down. And there s nobody else around you can run for help because you sue that s a no touch we All agree 3 you see aunt Janie Only once a year and when she finally does appear she gives you a heart touch that s very Clear we can see you Grin from ear to ear. 4 when you sit on his Lap your Uncle Sam is Sweet and tender As a Lamb but if Lamb Sam touches you where you Don t like you can Tell him to go take a hike c 1983, Pnina Tobin