Since our inception in 1994, kids, teens, and adults have reported using Kidpower training to stay safe. We have received hundreds of these success stories over the years. Here are just a few examples:
The names in these stories have been changed for confidentiality, but the stories are real.
At a Friend's House
“My son David took the course about a year and a half ago. He was 4 at the time, is now almost 6. Recently he was at a friend’s house for a play date and his friend took him in the closet with mom’s iPad, to look up some adult content. David knew just what to do. He asked his friend to stop, and when that didn’t work, he said he was uncomfortable and asked to go home. He told his dad and I what happened and we were able to contact the other boy’s mom to discuss the situation. We were so proud of him and I know the Kidpower program helped him make these good choices. We’ll plan to give him a refresher when he’s a little older. It’s great to know our kids can advocate for themselves in these sticky situations!”
At the Park
Recently, a man in his 70’s was hanging around a neighborhood park. He chatted with children as they went by, asking for their names, and at times, their addresses. Two 13-year-old boys politely gave their first names but did not talk to him further. This pattern continued over a couple of weeks. The man continued asking for names and addresses. In one incident, he offered to take one of the boys to his home and make sandwiches. The boys left the park on his bike immediately, only to be followed and stopped by the man on his way home who offered him a ride. Again the boys left. The boys told their parents about the encounters each time. The parents found out that the man was house sitting for an acquaintance. They confronted him and asked him to stop talking to the boys at the park. Because the incidents continued, the police intervened and found that he has a history as a sex offender. The police also requested that the man stop. These two boys both took Kidpower classes two years ago, and because of the classes they understood that this man’s “good intentions” did not add up as being safe intentions. Both the parents and boys are grateful for Kidpower and the skills they learned.
Walking to School
Mikayla, thirteen years old, was walking to school when she noticed a man riding toward her on his bike. She turned around as he passed and watched him to make certain he kept riding. However, he rode up behind her and asked her for directions. She instantly knew something was wrong because he didn’t ask a nearby adult he had just passed. He said, “Come here.” She said, “No!” loudly. When he continued to be inappropriate, she yelled “No!” loudly and turned and ran the rest of the way to school. Mikayla knew exactly what to do because she took a Kidpower class two years ago. She used her loud voice in the school and got immediate attention from the staff who called the police. Mikayla’s report to the police helped the authorities find the man, who had a history of previous sexual assaults.
In the Neighborhood
A mother and her two daughters were driving home after a school-based Kidpower workshop. When they arrived home, the older daughter, age 10, asked, “Can I talk to you, Mom?” Using the language she learned in the workshop, she said, “This is about my safety.” When they got home, the daughter told her mom that their neighbor had molested her about a year before. “I know I should have told you sooner, Mom,” Her mom replied, “Kidpower says that it is never too late to tell.” It turned out that the neighbor was still molesting the younger daughter, who was able to tell after her big sister did. The neighbor was the father in a family where the children often played together. It is suspected that this man’s children were also being abused. Thanks to a great deal of support from their wonderful family and community, the girls are doing well. The man who molested them is incarcerated. The mother and father firmly believe that if their children had not taken the Kidpower workshop, the abuse would have continued and that their daughters would not have known how to tell their parents what happened to them. These courageous girls want to have their story told so that it might help other children to know that it is never too late to tell.