Child Assault Prevention Training Center

- Volunteer for CAP 

Program Director: Ms. Norma G. Rodriguez
21455 Birch Street, Suite 201
Hayward, CA 94541-2131
510-583-0414
800-479-SAFE
norma@ebac.org

The Child Assault Prevention Training Center is the provider of the Child Assault Prevention (CAP) program, a world-renowned child abuse/youth violence prevention education model used nationally and in 18 countries.

"Safe! Strong! and Free!" Thousands of children and youth in schools and in the community know CAP by these three words. CAP workshops teach children and youth, from preschool through high school, how to prevent bullying, kidnapping, battering, molestation, neglect, and all other forms of abuse and assault. The objectives of the CAP Program are to ensure that:

• Children and youth will learn skills to prevent their own victimization and obtain the knowledge to not become future offenders.
• Children and youth will understand that they have the right to live free from abuse and that no one has the right to abuse them.
• Children and youth will learn how to identify and respond to abusive and unsafe situations.
• Children and youth will retain the information and strategies taught for preventing abuse and assault.
• Parents, administrators, teachers, and other youth service providers will learn about existing child abuse reporting laws.
• Parents, administrators, teachers, and other youth service providers will be given information to counteract common misconceptions about victims and offenders.
• Parents, administrators, teachers, and other youth service providers will be informed as to the physical and behavioral indicators of abuse and assault, how to respond to a child in crisis, and how to access resources in the community.

Preschool and Elementary CAP Workshops

A series of role-plays depicting the most common types of assault situations this age group could encounter are presented: peer-to-peer assault (bullying), stranger-to-child assault (kidnapping), and known adult-to-child assault (molestation, battering). Through role-plays and guided group discussion, the CAP program enables children to think about what they could do if they encounter a similar situation. The children come up with different suggestions and the facilitator aids in evaluating the effectiveness of each response. Children are also encouraged to identify supportive peers and adults. The role-plays are then repeated implementing the strategies and skills discussed and reviewed by the group. Skills taught include: anger management, impulse control, empathy, assertiveness, and decision-making.

Middle School and High School CAP Workshops

The TeenCAP program encourages participants to discuss and express their feelings around the dynamics of abuse and violence, and identify prevention strategies. Through role-plays, monologues, group discussion and activities, youth learn to identify different types of abuse that include: neglect, verbal, emotional, sexual, and physical abuse; domestic violence, dating violence, and sexual harassment; peer-to-peer abuse, and hate-motivated issues. Throughout the workshop, the facilitator consistently reinforces self-assertion, and identifying peer and adult support. Skills discussed include: impulse control, anger management, empathy, assertiveness, decision-making, and the ability to use community resources.

Children and youth who participate in the programs are challenged to acquire skills that will enable them to choose alternatives to violence when seeking a solution to a problem. The participatory format is designed to teach children and youth how to problem solve an unsafe or abusive situation without further increasing their risk or becoming abusive in the process. All workshops are age-appropriate, non-threatening, and the voluntary participatory format.

Directions via MapQuest