SAfe Life
The Safe Life Project for Children with Disabilities provided personal safety training & teaches methods of abuse prevention to students with developmental disabilities. VSA arts of California at Sacramento (VSAS) and the coordinators of the Safe Life program collaborated to utilize theatre as a tool in teaching students with special needs how to be safe. Safe Life used professional actors provided by VSAS to teach students with developmental disabilities effective safety, abuse prevention, and reporting skills.
It is estimated that three children die each day as a result of child abuse and neglect. People with disabilities are victimized 5-10 times more than people without disabilities. Did you know that 16-30% of all boys with disabilities and 39 to 68% of all girls with disabilities are sexually abused before age 18? These numbers represent the students teachers see on an almost daily basis. VSAS and the coordinators of the Safe Life Project helped teachers fill their responsibility to help their students.
Sacramento Educational Cable Consortium (SECC) TV Series, Cable Channels 71 and 72: The Safe Life Series offers strategies that could be used to teach students with developmental disabilities personal safety and abuse prevention skills. The series also provided information and ideas regarding the importance of facilitating opportunities for students with developmental disabilities to develop appropriate relationships. Information and methods could be incorporated into everyday teaching at all grade levels. Teachers learned about simple tools for students to help reduce their risk of becoming victims of abuse. Presenters: Susan Whaley and Stacey Hoffman.
VSAS hired local actors Cynthia Mitchell (right two) and Wayne Cook (left two) to test Safe Life students by way of in situ assessments. This is just one way VSAS utilizes theatre and performance as effective teaching tools for students with disabilities.
The Safe Life Project for Children with Disabilities was made possible through a five-year grant provided by U.S. Department of Education from 2001-2006.
