Welcome to our Kid's Corner!

Here you will find letters and drawings by real kids, and some important information to help keep you safe!

Dear Kids on the Block:

(Excerpted from hundreds of letters written by children in Windsor/Essex County)

 

Today I learned:

 

About child abuse

Not to abuse my children

Not to be afraid to tell

You can get help if someone abuses you

We listen to the funny feeling in our tummy

Not to keep important secrets

That bullies can hurt you physically, but also can hurt your feelings

To protect my body

That nobody has the right to touch me in my private parts

I have a right not to be abused

That discipline is not abuse

That child abuse is against the law

You should not bully people because it is wrong

To dial 911

My area code is 1-519

How to stay out of danger

That bullying is wrong.  If you see a person being bullied you should stand up for them.

I have to get permission before going with anyone

To walk the same way home with no short cuts

Not to open the door when you are by yourself

Not to go anywhere with a stranger

That there is a difference between tattling and reporting

 

I enjoyed / My favourite part was:

 

The whole puppet show

The funny parts

The good stuff you taught us

The part when you told me about strangers

When Stephen's mom said sorry for what she did

When Joanne shared her story with Nam

The part when they said not to be afraid

When Melody and Eddy practiced getting out of bullying

When they told us that nobody should touch us inappropriately

How you used puppets to explain abuse and being touched

The little chairs they had were cool

When Clare jumped up on the chair.  She was so enthusiastic.

The bird

When you talked about not bullying

When Stephen got help

When children asked questions and you answered them

When Joanne told the news writer for the school newspaper because she had the guts to tell someone

When Stephen and Joanne solved their problems by telling a grown-up

When the bully was making chicken sounds

The play a lot, so thank you very much

 

I wish:

 

Those acts never happened

That I will never be abused

Everyone in the world would be nice

That there were no drugs and abuse

I could be a show business guy

That your play was longer

I was in a puppet

I could see it again

I could act

Puppets were real

I could have some puppets

Stephen wasn't hurt

I was an interviewer like Nam was

I was working at Kids on the Block

Joanne was my best friend

I worked for Kids on the Block because they get to go to different schools and teach new things

We could fly and toboggan every day

I knew everybody in the whole world

I grew up to be just like Stephen

That I was a doctor

I had a pet

I could remember all the rules

Kids were safe

I could hit my sister but I can't

I could help people with abuse

The world would be peaceful

I could be an NHL hockey player

Stephen had never gotten the black eye

I could be a Block Parent

I had helped my friend when they were lonely

That Stephen, Nam, Joanne, and Bloomfield could be my friends

I had the Joanne puppet

There were no bullies

That real bullies will see the show and realize how much they can hurt people and stop

That I went to a bully free school

I could talk to my parents that way

That they could stop child abuse and bullying

That there was never any bullying and that everyone would have a happy life without bullying

That you could have stayed for 84 minutes, so we could have more time to talk about bullies

That no kids had to hurt from their mom or dad

 

It made me happy when:

 

Stephen did not get hit

You taught us safety

Joanne told (her friend's dad)

Stephen's mom told him she would not abuse him anymore

Joanne told Nam the truth

Stephen was ok

The police was looking for Len

I got to ask a question

Everything was back to normal

I saw big puppets

The girl did not let the bird trick her

It taught me how to deal with robbers

Joanne told her mom the truth

Stephen's mom got help

The boy's mother went to counselling

I talk to someone about my problems

I learned that teachers and parents protect me

I learned my area code, 519

I know that my parents don't abuse me

Joanne and Stephen told their stories because now I know if I ever get abused I'll know what it feels like

Stephen made a hotline to talk to people about child abuse

 

It made me sad when:

 

He told me about child abuse

He got a bruise

Stephen's mom hurt him

I heard Joanne say that Len was touching her private parts

Stephen had a scar

There's no one to play with

I get teased

I get in a fight with my friends

Bloomfield left, I like him

Stephen got hit

People do mean things to kids that don't deserve it

Joanne could not say the word that she needed to say

The puppet show ended

 

I know it is okay to say "NO!" when:

 

A stranger says to get in his car

You feel "icky"

You don't feel good about something

Someone's going to touch my private parts

It feels weird

Someone grabs me

A stranger says "I'll take you to your mom and dad"

A stranger offers you candy

It's a secret

When a bully is forcing you to do things that you don't want to do

People tell you to touch their body

When people give me cigarettes

Someone tries to give you drugs

Whenever I feel uncomfortable

When strangers expect an answer

When the bullies ask for an answer during a test

When a bully says "Give me your cookie!"

When people do things that are wrong like Bloomfield did (when he was pretending to be a bad stranger)

 

 

 

 

 

 

What if Child Abuse Happens to Me?

 

If you are suffering from child abuse, bullying or if someone is hurting you in any way, there are people that can help.  Here are a list of helping adults that you might talk to:

• A teacher, your principal or someone that works at your school, like the secretary
• A school counsellor or CYW
• The Police
• A doctor, nurse or dentist
• A friend's parents or neighbour that you trust
• A social worker, like they have at Children's Aid
• A coach, scout leader or brownie leader

If you have questions, or want to talk to someone privately, you can also call Kids' Help Phone. 

 

Kids Help Phone 1 800 668 8686

• Kids Help Phone is a free service that kids can call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. 
• Kids Help Phone is not a long distance call.  It won't cost you or your parents any money. 
• You can call Kids Help Phone FREE from any phone, even a payphone. 
• Kids Help Phone is available anywhere in Canada. 
• Kids Help Phone has professional counsellors that are trained to help kids. 
• You can call Kids Help Phone without giving your name - they don't have call display. 

 

Locally, you can also call The Children's Crisis Service of Windsor Regional Hopsital at 519-257-5215

 

Children's Crisis Service is a 24 hour crisis service located in Windsor.  It is not a long distance call, but you will need a quarter to call from a payphone.