Smart Defense for kids
After being sexually assaulted on an airplane in the summer of 2019, Elizabeth Smart decided in that moment to help women and girls everywhere learn how to defend themselves. With a team of self-defense professionals, Elizabeth developed the Smart Defense program to empower women to use their strength and voices.
Recognizing that children are also at a high risk of sexual assault, Elizabeth and our team banded together to design Smart Defense for Kids: a self-defense program that teaches children how to utilize their strength and encourages families to talk about the importance of boundaries and consent.
A Head Start On Hard Conversations
With 1 in 5 children sexually abused before they turn 18, the need to start having conversations with children about boundaries and consent has never been greater. Smart Defense for Kids helps start those conversations.
Specially designed for children ages 5-10, Smart Defense for Kids teaches children how to protect themselves against bullies and predators, use their voice, and practice consent in a fun, interactive setting.
What to Expect from Smart Defense for Kids
Smart Defense for Kids teaches children to utilize their strength through a combination of kid-friendly warmups and martial arts techniques.
Along with physical training, Smart Defense for Kids focuses on age-appropriate conversations that teach children how to:
Find Trustworthy Adults
Set Boundaries
Recognize Inappropriate Situations
If you feel Smart Defense for Kids is the right fit for your child, sign up for a course today!
Coming Soon: Smart Defense Kids+
Like our adult program, the full curriculum for Smart Defense for Kids will be available to stream online. Enter your email below for updates on when Smart Defense Kids+ becomes available.
Resources
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Raise
Raise is a free parenting resource that helps parents navigate the challenges of today’s digital landscape, while encouraging their children to develop healthy relationships with technology.
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Smart Talk
Join kidnapping survivor Elizabeth Smart as she speaks with therapists, survivors, and experts as they share stories of empowerment, recovery, and hope.
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Saprea
We provide free educational resources to parents, caregivers, and community leaders to empower them to protect the children they love. For parents whose children have already experienced sexual abuse, we seek to support efforts to prevent it from reoccurring.
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Fight child abuse
The objective of the program is to educate all ages of children about what to do when confronted with abusive behavior such as safe and unsafe touches and other physical and emotional abuse. Every video in the various series emphasizes the importance of going to a parent or another trusted adult when confronted with an unsafe situation.
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RAINN
The victim services experts at RAINN take a victim-centered, trauma-informed approach to developing programs and services that support survivors of sexual violence and their loved ones. As the country’s leading provider of sexual assault services, we have developed programs to help survivors in all stages of recovery. Such programs as our National Sexual Assault Hotline, accessible 24/7 by phone (800.656.HOPE) and online (online.rainn.org)
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Darkness To Light
Darkness to Light empowers adults to prevent, recognize, and react responsibly to child sexual abuse through awareness, education, and stigma reduction.
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UCASA
For us, eliminating sexual violence is more than our mission, it is a passionate cause for the people who make our organization successful. We’re committed to creating a society free from sexual violence and our programming is a reflection of that vision. Our technical assistance, training and other programs are designed to transform our communities and eliminate sexual violence in all of its forms.
