BRADENTON, Fla. — While many schools are teaching students how to stay safe from COVID-19, one Manatee school is making sure kids know how to keep their bodies safe from sexual predators.
Students at Visible Men’s Academy, a Title One school in Bradenton, are learning about sexual abuse through a book called “Let’s B Safe.”
The local author, Brenda Zofrea, wrote the bilingual book to help kids learn right from wrong touching, and how to protect themselves from sexual predators.
Zofrea says students who come from high-risk living situations are 20 times more likely to become victims of sexual abuse.
"Having a book like this that could speak to our boys about what sexual abuse is and how they can speak up for themselves if something is happening, it was really important to me that they got that message," said Tiffany Mickens, Visible Men’s Academy principal.
With the help of local sponsors, all eighty students got a copy of the bilingual book to take home and a bee toy to remind them to be safe.
“This trauma can undermine a child’s ability to concentrate and learn resulting in lower grade point averages and decreased IQ and reading ability. We’re grateful for the Michael Saunders Company Foundation and the Community Foundation of Sarasota County’s LET’S B SAFE FUND for bringing the program to every student enrolled at the Visible Men Academy,” said Zofrea.
For more information on "Let's B Safe" visit their website here.
