Greenwich
House Children's Safety Project
27 Barrow Street, 2nd floor
New York, NY 10014-3823
T: 212.242.4140
F: 212.366.4226
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In 1987, six year old Lisa Steinberg was
beaten to death by her adoptive parents in their apartment less than ten
blocks away from Greenwich House. Outraged by the violence that led
to Lisa's death, community members expressed concerns over the health of
our children. In response, Greenwich House obtained seed money from
its Assembly member and opened the Children's Safety Project to serve the
Greenwich Village community. Today, the program sees children and
families from all five boroughs.
The
Children's Safety Project treats children, adolescents, and young adults up to 21 years of
age who have been physically abused, sexually abused, victim of or a witness to a crime,
including domestic violence. Our goal is to heal traumatized children by helping them to
work out the adverse psychological effects of abuse. We treat children from regardless of
ability to pay. Our prevention efforts include Safety Classes and Community Education.
Counseling Services
The Children's Safety Project helps
children and families recover from the adverse effects of trauma and abuse
by focusing on their specific needs and unique strengths. Through an
emphasis on both healing and empowerment, therapists help children cope
with feelings of guilt, shame, anger, depression, anxiety and
powerlessness. Non-offending parents are an integral part of the
child's treatment, and may also be offered personal therapy for themselves
or family therapy for the entire unit. The Children's Safety Project
provides services to families regardless of their ability to pay.
A program of individualized therapy
is designed for each client using one or a combination of the following
methods:
Individual Counseling
- Creative play, art, specially designed games, and other
materials may be enlisted in the attempt to help children discover and give expression to
their thoughts and feelings. Even with children too young to verbalize, the metaphors
created through play can be a highly effective way of communicating. The therapeutic
relationship also provides an arena where children can feel personally valued as well as
an opportunity to understand and correct the misperceptions they have acquired about
relationships with adults.
Family Counseling
- Family members are helped to express and understand one
another's responses to abuse and its impact on the family unit. Family sessions facilitate
communication and accommodation vital to a healthier family dynamic.
Group Counseling
- Group counseling sessions provide a safe setting for
children to interact and talk about trauma-related feelings and experiences. Sharing and
validating circumstances helps children understand their own experiences, reduce feelings
of isolation and stigmatization, and reduce overall levels of emotional distress.
Caretaker Sessions
- Individual counseling sessions to parent or guardian to
support the child's therapy and address caretaker concerns.
Parent Support Group
- Parents express their own feelings and stresses reactive
to abuse and explore adaptive responses to a child's expressions of trauma. Additionally,
parents learn how to develop skills that promote supportive, healthy relationships and
counteract potentially abusive relationships.
Prevention Services
Safety Classes
- Children's Safety Classes are a the core of our prevention
services - educating and empowering children to protect themselves. Children learn how to
identify and avoid abusive and dangerous situations including what to do when they are
being hurt, how to get help, and how to protect themselves
against street crime and bullies.
The curriculum integrates personal safety awareness, instruction,
and problem solving with experiential learning.
Role playing enables children to practice and gain confidence in protective responses to
dangerous or potentially abusive situations. Classes are open to all children in the
community.
- During the 8-week course, your child learns personal
safety skills designed to empower her/him to avoid victimization. Empowerment and
practical safety topics are highlighted in a fun, safe, non-competitive environment.
Personal safety instruction and group problem-solving are integrated with experiential
learning.
Role playing enables children to practice and gain confidence
in defending themselves against abusive situations. Other group activities demonstrate
self-defense techniques: asserting physical and emotional boundaries, use of voice-saying
"NO", running away, getting help, responding to bullies, good and bad touching.
Parents' Classes
- Two parent's classes are offered in conjunction with the
children's safety classes. The goal is to support child's empowerment and personal safety
strategies.
DIRECTIONS
The Children's Safety Project is conveniently located at the
intersection of Bleecker Street and Seventh Avenue South, near the subway lines A,
B, C, D, E, F, V, and 1. Bus service is available on the M8 and M20 lines.
Riders on the #1 train should exit at the Christopher
Street/Sheridan Square station (one stop below 14th Street or one stop after
Houston Street.) Riders on the A, B, C, D, E, F, and V trains should exit at the West
Fourth Street station. Proceed to West Fourth Street and walk three blocks west to Barrow
Street.
IMPORTANT TELEPHONE NUMBERS:
For information on domestic violence,
including medical help and ways to get safety:
New York City hotline: (1-800) 621-4673
New York State hotline: (1-800) 942-6906 Spanish-speaking (1-800) 942-6908
Gay and Lesbian Anti-Violence Project: (212) 807-1097
To report a crime:
Victim Services Crime Victims Hotline: (212) 577-7777 (open 24 hours a day 7 days a week)
Offering crisis counseling, information and referral to shelters, long or short term
counseling, legal assistance, document and lock replacement, and compensation assistance
to victims of crimes.
HOW TO KEEP YOUR CHILDREN
SAFE:
As parent or caretaker you must learn to communicate with your
child. Communication is a two way street. Good communication involves listening Listen to
what your child says, acknowledge your child's feelings. Children learn to believe in
themselves by the messages given to them by parents. As a parent use "I"
messages. Messages that describe your feelings rather than condemnation of the child.
"I am upset that the dish is broken. It was one of my favorites."
Teach your children that:
- They have a right to trust their feelings and instincts.
- They have the right to say no to a person who makes them
uncomfortable.
- A stranger is anyone a child does not know.
- They don't have to keep secrets that feel bad.
- There are guidelines and rules when they are home alone.
- They have a right to get help.
- There are adults they can talk to and can trust. Help them to
identify who these adults are.
- Their bodies belong to them.
- They can run away from dangerous situations.
As a parent you should:
- Choose baby-sitters and daycare centers carefully. Get references
and observe the child's interaction with the center or person.
- Use the proper words for all body parts. Genitalia should not be
singled out for cute names.
- Be knowledgeable about your child's life, friends, and habits.
- Remember to develop your child's self esteem.
- Listen to your children, take the time to hear what they are
saying.
- Serve as a role model in asserting yourself for your own safety and
that of your child.
- Supervise use of the Internet.
Follow these links to
other websites, for more information:
General information: www.gangfreekids.org/childAbuse.html
General information: www.prevent-abuse-now.com
Child sexual abuse: www.aacap.org/publications/factsfam/sexabuse.htm
Responding to sexual abuse: www.aacap.org/publications/factsfam/rspdabus.htm
Exposure to Violence: www.nccev.org
Dealing with Bullies: www.kidshealth.org/parent/emotions/feelings/bullies.html
Going to a therapist: www.kidshealth.org/kid/feel_better/people/going_to_therapist.html
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