Safety Through Community: CSAM Prevention Workshops with Las Doñas
When you think about where you’ve learned the most reliable information about safety, what comes to mind?
The answer to that question is often not a formal institution, but from conversations, passing remarks and other shared experiences within your family or community. PACT often refers to using your “community as a resource.” But what does that look like? Read on to hear directly from workshop participants on how they are doing just that in the weeks following their completion of PACT’s five-week Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) Parental Prevention & Training of Advocates workshop series.
Partnering with Las Doñas
Las Doñas, a migrant Latina community organization committed to advocacy and leadership development, recently completed PACT’s five-week CSAM Prevention workshop series. A graduation ceremony was held at the Ecuadorian Civic Committee in Corona, Queens, to celebrate the group’s achievement and their commitment to better protecting and serving the youth in their community.
Founded by Tony Alarcón and coordinated nationally by Clara Cortes, Las Doñas was formed with the goal of bringing women together to become stronger community leaders and organizers through political education, mentorship and skill-building opportunities.
Through PACT’s CSAM Prevention workshop series, Las Doñas participants deepened their knowledge of labor and sex trafficking, online safety and responsible social media use, trauma-informed practices, and effective communication around difficult topics. Here’s what one participant had to say about her experience:
“Aprendí a reconocer las señales de riesgo, a conocer los recursos de apoyo disponibles y a entender cómo prevenir este tipo de situaciones. Esta capacitación me permitirá orientar mejor a las personas de mi entorno y contribuir a crear una comunidad más informada, protegida y más segura.”
“I learned to recognize warning signs of trafficking and what resources I have available to support me, as well as how to prevent these types of situations. Because of this training, I can better guide the people around me and contribute to creating a community that is more informed, better protected, and safe.”
PACT’s CSAM Prevention Workshops
The CSAM Prevention workshop series provides participants with evidence-based information on labor and sex trafficking, online safety, mandated reporting, and trauma-informed communication. Through the CSAM Prevention workshop with Las Doñas, participants learned:
Where and how to look for warning signs of child trafficking
How traffickers exploit online spaces
How to better keep kids safe when using social media
How to navigate difficult conversations with youth
What mandated reporting responsibilities and actions can look like
Rights in the workplace and in education
Rights of recently arrived immigrants (New New Yorkers)
National hotlines and resources
PACT customizes workshops in collaboration with partner organizations, using their frontline insights to tailor content and implementation so that we address real community needs, avoid predictable pitfalls, and drive higher turnout, participation, and satisfaction.
Community As a Resource
PACT believes in the importance of using your community as a resource. Following the workshop series with Las Doñas, we reached out to see how participants were using the information and training they received to contribute to their communities. Here is Las Doñas member María Abeja reflecting on her experience sharing key points from the CSAM prevention workshop with some of her peers:
“El riesgo de subir fotografías a las redes sociales les pareció importante; ver alrededor de la escuela a personas que no van a recoger niños y solo están ahí solo mirando, aparentemente inofensivos, y comentaron poner más atención. También lo que se debe hablar y lo que no se debe hablar con los jóvenes y cómo lo debemos decir. ”
“They felt it was important to be aware of the risks of posting photos on social media and to be more aware of people who stand around observing schools, appearing harmless, but who aren’t there to pick up children. They agreed that we should pay closer attention to what should and shouldn’t be said to young people, and how to say it. ”
How PACT Makes a Difference
PACT’s work is rooted in the belief that preventing child exploitation requires meaningful partnerships rooted in community. By partnering with trusted local leaders, PACT is able to deliver training that resonates culturally, meets community-specific needs, and ensures that prevention messages reach the people most likely to identify early warning signs.
Maria Abreja shared the information she learned in these workshops with her peers because she wanted to help protect “above all, the children and young people” in her community. We are deeply grateful to every participant who committed to supporting the young people in their communities by participating in these workshops, PACT is grateful to Las Doñas, to Tony and Clara for their leadership, and to the Ecuadorian Civic Committee for hosting this celebration.
Congratulations to every participant who graduated from the workshops this year!
