Protect Me Project

Lasting prevention isn’t built overnight. 🌱

It grows through:
• Consistent education
• Trusted relationships
• Local leadership
• Long-term investment in communities

That’s why permanently placed local volunteers matter so much!

Top left: PMP Mexico volunteer, spreads prevention topics with parents, adults, caregivers and children, for the prevention of sexual dangers.

Bottom left: PMP Dominican Republic volunteer, distributes materials to teachers and school professionals for the prevention of commercial sexual exploitation.

Bottom right: PMP International Mobilization and Volunteer Coordinator, does Together for Prevention session in elementary school. Spreading prevention to the next generation!

We are grateful for every person using their time, voice, and skills to help create safer environments around the world. 🙏

Your impact matters more than you know.
Thank you for being part of the mission.

Bottom left: Two of PMP SLK volunteers did a Parents for Prevention program at a local church. They said the parents were open to the information and were grateful for the awareness! 👏

Top right: PMP US volunteer talks with highschoolers about the dangers of the online world. She shares with them the importance of knowing the red flags, what to look out for and how to stay safe! The highschoolers were very receptive to the information! 📱✅

🌍 This month, we want to highlight the incredible impact local volunteers make in their communities — and why long-term local presence matters in prevention and protection work. 💙

This week, we want to give a BIG shoutout to our PMP volunteers around the world! 👏🌎 They are working hard to bring awareness, educate others, and build Zero Tolerance Zones in their communities! 🎉✨

Thank you for being a part of the mission and helping create safer communities for everyone. 💛

PROTECT ME PROJECT and ROTARY INTERNATIONAL celebrated The Day of the Child in Cumbes, Ecuador today.

This prevention festival marked the end of the collaborative project “Safe Families Against Sexual Violence”in the three schools of this town. Club Rotario Santa Ana de los Rios de Cuenca and The Rotary Club of Edina collaborated with Protect Me Project volunteers, school administrators, teachers and parents to celebrate prevention of abuse in the public plaza.

One supportive response can make a lasting difference.

👀 Pay attention
🗣 Take concerns seriously
🛑 Speak up early

Awareness becomes protection when action follows.
*Look up what your local child abuse hotline number is!

Sometimes the most powerful protection is giving kids the skills and words to use to speak up! 🗣

So what does that mean?

Teach them about consent.
➡ It's as easy as teaching young kids (0-4 years old) how to say "NO"!
➡ This also helps kids understand boundaries for themselves and for others!
➡ Teach kids that their bodies belong to them.

"No to secrets, yes to surprises!"
➡ Abusers and groomers will use secrets to build isolation from family and friends.
➡ Private messages and DMs; encouraging lying.

Remind them: "IT IS NOT YOUR FAULT!"

Prevention starts with early conversations!

Kids and teens need safe adults that they can talk to without fear or shame!

What can a trusted adult do?
• Have open communication 💬
• Talk about healthy boundaries ✅
• Teaching body autonomy 🧠
• Letting them know who kids interact with online and in person 🤳
• Creating an environment where speaking up feels safe 📢

These conversations do not have to wait until kids are older. Using age-appropriate conversations early helps build trust, confidence, and a foundation for prevention. 🛡

How can we tell if someone is a safe adult vs unsafe? 🚩

Safe, trusted adults:
✅ Respects boundaries of kids and parents/guardians
✅ Includes parents/guardians in communication and interaction
✅ Does not ask to keep or tell secrets
✅ Encourages healthy relationships with friends, family and peers
✅ Avoid inappropriate conversations, comments or jokes

Unsafe behaviors or red flags of grooming:
❌ Overstepping boundaries or ignoring parent/guardian rules
❌ Asking or pressuring kids to keep secrets
❌ Isolates child from family, friends and peers; constantly seeking alone time
❌ Sexualizing conversations, jokes or interactions
❌ Showing unusual favoritism towards one child through special gifts, private outings, or excessive attention- especially when secrecy is involved

➡These are only a few behaviors to pay attention to! Pay attention to patterns, not just isolated moments. Healthy relationships are built on TRUST, RESPECT, and TRANSPARENCY—not secrecy, pressure, or control.

🔗https://sharedhope.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Safe-Adult-Fact-Sheet_6.14.21.pdf
https://www.nationalchildrensalliance.org/the-real-red-flags-of-grooming/

ONLINE SAFETY STARTS WITH CONVERSATION ⚠️
Kids can’t recognize unsafe behavior if no one has taught them what to look for. Open, ongoing conversations about online safety help build awareness, confidence, and trust.

Here are a few important topics to talk through together:

🗨️ Explain what a predator or groomer can look like:
They may be adults or peers. They can be strangers—or even someone your child knows. Online, people may pretend to be someone they’re not to gain trust.

👀 Talk about what healthy online relationships look like
Discuss respect, boundaries, honesty, and safe communication both online and offline.

🔐 Teach privacy and personal safety online
Help kids understand why personal information, photos, locations, and passwords should stay private. Review app privacy settings together.

🚩 Talk about the different red flags that a predator or groomer might use:
Including: wanting to keep secrets, moving conversations to private apps, giving gifts or money, isolating them from family and friend, pressuring to send explicit content of themselves.

📱 Stay involved in their world:
Know what apps your kids are using and who they’re interacting with online. Create a safe space where they feel comfortable coming to you with concerns or questions. Open communication helps build trust and keeps conversations about online safety ongoing.

🔗https://thrive.psu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/thrive_resource_10-18-years_talking-tips-to-protect-your-child-from-online-predators-and-grooming_20260226.pdf
https://childrescuecoalition.org/educations/10-expert-tips-for-protecting-children-from-online-sexual-predators/