NOVA is pleased to collaborate with Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency on Project Safe and Smart. This initiative educates children about body safety rules and key safety steps.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), at least 1 in 7 children have experienced child abuse or neglect in the past year alone. About one in four girls and one in thirteen boys in the United States experience child sexual abuse. These figures are likely underestimated, as many cases go unreported.

Developed by the New York Society for The Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NYSPCC), Safe Touches is an evidenced-based prevention program presented to children in their 2nd grade classrooms. Two trained NOVA educators use puppets to provide developmentally appropriate content about body safety. Children learn about what they can do if they, or someone they know, feels unsafe.