Our School-Based Personal Safety program focuses on a variety of child abuse and bullying prevention programs while also supporting area schools’ ability to comply with Ohio House Bill 19 and Senate Bill 288. Students learn abuse prevention and personal safety strategies. COCA's curriculum aims to teach children to understand personal boundaries and how to become their own advocates in terms of child abuse and bullying. COCA teaches children to recognize the main types of abuse including physical, verbal, sexual and neglect and the main types of bullying behavior including physical, verbal, sexual, social and cyberbullying. Students understand through education materials, examples of the main types of abuse and bullying behavior. Students also have opportunities to disclose current or previous abuse, bullying and related problems.

We also help schools develop policies related to child abuse and bullying and provide consultation services upon request. To date, over 300,000 children have been served, more than 5,000 school personnel have been trained and over 4,500 parents have attended workshops to learn about their role and responsibilities in preventing abusive behaviors.

COCA is proud to be an Erin's Law compliant approved resource by the Ohio Department of Education for Child Sexual Abuse, Dating Violence and Sexual Violence Prevention (Senate Bill 288). To learn more, click here.

COCA has provided services in over 100 schools throughout the Greater Cincinnati area. Districts served include, but are not limited to, the following: Archdiocese of Cincinnati, Cincinnati Public Schools, Diocese of Covington, Finneytown School District, Forest Hills School District, Mt. Healthy School District, Northwest School District, Norwood City Schools, Oak Hills School District, Princeton School District, and Sycamore School District. For more details and the list of schools served in the school year, click here.

COCA offers the following services to primary, elementary, middle schools:

Staff In-Service  (1 - 4 Hours)

• Strategies for identifying child abuse including physical, verbal, sexual and neglect
• Strategies for identifying bullying behavior including physical, verbal, sexual, social and cyberbullying
• Review of legal rights and reporting responsibilities
• Overview of social media and how to report cyberbullying
• Preview of classroom presentations

Parent Education  (1 - 2 Hours)

• Strategies for communication between parents and children
• Parent role in prevention
• Effective responses to children in crisis
• Preview of classroom presentations

Children's Presentations  (1 Hour)

• Learn to recognize potentially dangerous situations
• Learn about the types of child abuse including physical, verbal, sexual and neglect and how to be safe on the internet
• Learn about the types of bullying behavior including physical, verbal, sexual, social and cyberbullying and how to be safe on the internet
• Strategies for prevention
• Opportunities to disclose concerns
• Intervention and support referrals as appropriate

Jr. High/High School Presentations  (1 - 3 Hours)

• Learn to recognize characteristics of healthy and unhealthy relationships
• Learn safe dating strategies
• Understand consent
• Opportunities to disclose concerns
• Intervention and support referrals as appropriate

For more information or to schedule a program for your school, contact the Council on Child Abuse at 513-684-7976.

Want more information about your child's classroom presentation? Check out some of our Frequently Asked Questions.

For more information about how to help your child stay safe online, check out our Resources.