Getting Started with the Second Step® Child Protection Unit
How to Keep Kids Safe from Abuse
School staff are uniquely positioned to protect children from abuse and neglect. We highly recommend you and your staff complete our robust training before teaching student lessons in the Child Protection Unit.
Three Dos and a Don't
Do use the included (and unlimited!) staff training.
Do get access to the administrator dashboard by providing us with the administrator’s email address and school name upon purchase.
Do contact us with questions at support@secondstep.org or 800-634-4449, ext. 1. We’re here to help!
Don’t skip staff training.
Your staff may be eager to start teaching student lessons right away. When they do, kids will ask questions and want to share their experiences, so have the right policies and practices in place to ensure all adults are prepared to respond. Time is precious, but the training modules are short and relevant, with easy online access. Staff training is critical to child protection. Thank you for doing your part! Ready to get started?
Staff Training 101+
- Designate a “primary administrator” for each school when you purchase the curriculum. This could be the principal, counselor, SEL coordinator, or teacher. The primary administrator can also invite backup administrators to ensure someone can access the administrator dashboard at all times.
- Register your product to access the administrator dashboard and unlock key resources. Each administrator you designate will receive an email with a unique activation key that unlocks all online product resources and training. Register now. If you didn’t receive an email with an activation key, we may not have a correct email address. Contact us at support@secondstep.org or 800-634-4449, ext. 1.
- Train staff. Because staff training is key to child protection, we’ve highlighted recommendations for you in the Pro Tips section. The modules are written for administrators, all staff and volunteers, or for those staff teaching the student lessons.
Pro Tips
- Complete the administrator training. Before staff begin training, review your school and district child protection policies and complete Module 1 of this curriculum so you can communicate effectively with staff about policies and expectations.
- Host an all-staff meeting. You’ll improve staff participation if you discuss how collaboration makes child protection possible: combining effective policies, staff training, and student lessons.
- Clearly communicate expectations. Do you want staff to complete the online training on their own time or during an in-service day? We recommend setting a completion date or scheduling the in-service date.
- Invite staff to the online training. Staff are more likely to complete training if you send them an email invitation from the administrator dashboard.
- Monitor staff progress. With the dashboard, you can see if staff members have completed the training or are still working on it, and you can send them reminders as needed.
Need help accessing the administrator dashboard?
We’re here for you!
Questions? Browse FAQs
Contact us at support@secondstep.org or 800-634-4449, ext. 1
Empower Students
Once staff complete their training, they begin teaching the lessons with a scope and sequence for each grade.
- As adults, it’s our responsibility to keep children safe and protected from abuse. But we also acknowledge that we can help children protect themselves by teaching them to recognize, respond to, and report unsafe behavior and situations—especially sexually inappropriate touch.
- Use the included posters to display in classrooms and throughout the building to reinforce key concepts, such as Never-Never Rules and Ways to Stay Safe.
Engage Families
Child abuse, particularly sexual abuse, thrives on silence and shame. With the Child Protection Unit, we can help children understand that abuse is not their fault and that it’s okay to say no to touches that make them uncomfortable.
- To help parents and caregivers understand what’s being taught in class and why it’s important to have open and ongoing conversations with kids about this important topic, we’ve developed a library of resources that educators can share with families, including home activities, videos, and articles.
- On a broader scale, we advocate for child safety legislation and support public awareness campaigns to keep kids safe. We also created a unique way to increase awareness of and help start the conversation about child sexual abuse: watch the video from our Hot Chocolate Talk® campaign.
- Our Early, Open, Often website offers resources, comprehensive ideas, and paths of action for becoming more informed and more invested in child protection. Please explore and share!
Celebrate Progress
Take time to acknowledge everyone’s hard work, congratulate staff and students, and share what you’ve learned. Together, we can create a safer and kinder world for all kids.