Taking Off The Gloves

Today our National Training Director was talking with an Army Community Service Director. They had spoken previously when she was stationed at another base and had not been very interested in our programs in the past.  Now in a new position she had cause to reflect with a different perspective on our mission and the services we have been providing to the military on behalf of sex abuse prevention.  She wanted to go to our website as they spoke, and after giving her the url, she became very silent.  He asked her if she was still there and she said yes, to just give her a minute. Her next words were "You really don't play fair.". She then said, "This is a horrible video on your main page, its really good, but its also really horrible."

The video she was referring to is new on the site. Its actually a trailer to a bit longer video on a linked page that is also part of the article that is entitled Taking Off The Gloves. In the past I have always put a great deal of thought into what goes on our main page. I like to give a lot of content, not just fluff, but content with relevancy.  The video she spoke of is one that I found on YouTube along with several others that are on the other page linked in the article.

I've always played it safe, not wanting to make anyone shy away from our site, but enticing them with enough helpful information that they will stay and search through our library and resource pages along with the pages that show our curriculum and other programs and family support materials that are geared to educating our children on how to avoid becoming a victim of sexual abuse, abduction and exploitation. 

Recently as I have had the opportunity to twitter with, and link to many individuals and organizations that are working towards the same end as we are, I began to realize that in order to get people to take a second look I needed to get their attention in the first place.  We have shared many statistics and data that should get people's blood boiling over the atrocities that are being commited against our children, but haven't really made the impact I have been looking for.

The emotion and response that was evoked from this woman as she finished watching the video were exactly the kind of response I was hoping to get.  All to often even some of those who work in this field forget the personal, human side of the issue.  Until it is staring you in the face it can be easy to put the harsh reality in a shadow in the background.  My promise to myself and all of those children that we are trying to inoculate  from the horrors of sexual abuse is that I will never again be a pansy, afraid to put the real images of this ugly truth up front and personal.

I must applaud those of you who saw the need for this direction much much earlier than me, and thank you for being great teachers.  It just proves that even a grey haired old great-grandmother can learn new tricks and be willing to admit when she does.

Please visit http://www.safenetwork.org/ and let me know what you think of our new look.  Even after all these years we are still learning and evolving, any input is always appreciated.