ROGERS — Foster children learned to resist attacks during a class held by the Benton County Sheriff’s Office this week.
The children learned a dozen moves, and deputies held big blue pads during their last practice session Thursday, encouraging kids to take their best shot, poking their invisible attacker, pushing him away, and bracing their arm for an elbow strike at his neck.
Children who didn’t want to practice Monday were full of confidence when the class ended Thursday evening, said Capt. Nathan Atchison. Deputies have taught RADKids skills to hundreds of children in the past five years, Atchison said. RAD stands for Resisting Aggression Defensively.
At A Glance
RADKids Rules
• No one has the right to hurt me because I am special.
• I don’t have the right to hurt anybody, including myself, unless they are hurting me and then I can stop them.
• If anyone tries to hurt me, trick me or make me feel bad it’s not my fault so I can tell.
Source: Staff Report
webwatch
On the web: www.radkids.orgw
Learning to defend themselves is especially important to foster children, said Tammy Mullins, attorney ad litem, who represents the interest of children.
“We have so many kids who come into the system because they’ve been victimized,” Mullins said.
She hopes children learned to stand up for themselves through the class.
“Kids don’t know they can say ‘no’ to an adult,” Mullins said.
Deputies asked the group to practice saying, “no” as part of Thursday’s exercise. Children in the class were from Benton, Washington, Carroll and Madison counties, Mullins said.
“I liked it because you got to yell,” said Jacob Sanchez, 9, one of the few children in the class not in foster care.
Foster parent Rachel Cox brought her own children to the class rather than foster children. Sometimes there's frustration dealing with the foster care system, but watching local law enforcement work with the children gave her a positive feeling and a renewed passion for foster parenting, Cox said.
The class covered topics from kidnapping to animal attack. Children learned to never quit trying to get away if they are abducted. They learned to protect themselves in case of a dog attack, but not to run from or stare down an aggressive animal.
“Every child can benefit from learning basic safety training,” Cox said.
Deputies talked about safety, such as not running in front of a car, but also talked to students about the dangers of drugs prescribed for someone else. They talked about the difference between a good touch, such as a "high-five," and an uncomfortable touch, such as a massage from a stranger.
“Secrets that make you feel bad inside are something you need to share,” Atchison told the group.
Child abuse, especially in Benton County, can come from a family member, he said after the class. The idea of “stranger danger” doesn't always work.
“When you talk about strangers, you’re saying everyone in your family is OK,” he said.
Slogans used in the class remind children that no one has the right to hurt them and that if they feel they are in danger they should run to a trusted adult, such as a teacher or cashier.
Foster parent Debbie Patty said she was impressed with the deputies’ compassion.
“They didn’t scare the kids, but they didn’t take away from the truth either,” Patty said.
Children in foster care can feel vulnerable and the class refrain of “No one has the right to hurt me because I am special” may be new to some of the children, Patty said.
The class helps children move from a “why me” mentality to “how dare you,” said Deputy Scott Santos.
“They have power and they can fight back,” Patty said.