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After-School Program Empowers Students

Woman: Program Tells Students They're Worth Protecting

POSTED: 3:24 pm EST November 6, 2008
UPDATED: 7:55 pm EST November 6, 2008

It's not health class or physical education, but some parents may argue that one after-school activity is just as important as any in-school lesson.

But parents would argue this after-school activity is just as important as any in-school lesson.

And the woman who teaches these young kids couldn't agree more.

“Keeping them safe today is just getting more and more stressful for parents,” said Tricia Baker, a social worker at Bolton High School.

Baker found out about a program called radKIDS and wanted to bring it to the school.

“It's safety education, but it's more than that,” she said. “It's personal empowerment.”

Baker shelled out her own money to train out-of-state and bring the program to children in Connecticut.

“radKIDS teaches them no one has the right to hurt you and you don't have to be a victim,” she said. “Expecting someone to come and help you -- you can help yourself.”

Baker said RAD stands for Resist Aggression Defensively. She said uses the program with children as young as 3 years old and as old as 12 years old.

She said that when the children get together, there are conversations and role-playing.

One of the activities centers on what to do if a child's home alone and there's a knock at the door, she said, or if a stranger approaches a child in public.

Sean Cox got both his daughters involved in the class.

They now know how to quickly dial 911, he said.

He said he feels better as a parent knowing his children are prepared at a young age.

“I know now if there were an emergency and I were hurt and unable to communicate, I know they could take those steps and do it for themselves,” Cox said.

“It's a way to help kids value themselves and say, 'I'm worth protecting,’” said Baker.

For more information on the program, visit the radKIDS Web site.

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