CASA of North Texas Offers
COPE 360*
Community Outreach & Prevention Education
What we do
COPE is more than just sharing information. We present a positive culture with opportunities for critical thinking and encourage confidence in decision-making, self - awareness, setting boundaries, and resilience. along with identifying warning signs and promoting open communication.
Each curriculum is designed support skills and knowledge for making healthy choices, managing feelings, and solving problems peacefully. Our team offers security in a learning environment that is understanding and reassuring, providing proactive options and take-home materials, that bolsters more family engagement. Our intentions are to keep children safe while maintaining and achieving social and emotional health.
Total awareness offers a full 360* approach, for students, parents, and teachers. Along with relating to the kids, we offer adult training in Human Trafficking and Recognizing & Reporting Abuse.
Our COPE staff is qualified to facilitate four different evidence - based curriculums that will grow with the students each year.
School Safety Law Tool Kit
Legislation
Senate Bill 9
In 2009 the Texas Legislature passed Erin’s Law, which requires the following:
Education for students in grades PreK-12th grade age-appropriate techniques to recognize child sexual abuse and tell a trusted adult. Instruction for school personnel on how to identify, respond, and report child sexual abuse. For parents to receive information on child sexual abuse including how to make a referral, Sharing community resources.
Erin's Law has been passed in 37 states
​
​
​
​
​
​
Senate Bill 9 (SB 9) of the 87th Texas Legislative Session requires school districts to offer curriculum to students in the prevention of child abuse (elementary & secondary), family violence (elementary & secondary), dating violence (secondary), and sex trafficking (secondary). Parents/caregivers must provide consent before their child can receive instruction in the specified topics. Without opt-in consent, students will be unable to participate in the lesson(s).
​
​
With guidance from the School Health Advisory Council (SHAC), Cooke County school districts has approved the curriculums that will be used for the different grade levels. The curriculum is provided by and facilitated by CASAs COPE team. Parent/caregivers may preview the curriculum as indicated below.
“David’s Law” requires school districts to include cyberbullying in their district bullying policies and notify a child’s parents if he or she is a victim or alleged aggressor of bullying.
David’s Law has empowered schools and parents to seek legal remedies against perpetrators of cyberbullying activities. Now there are civil and criminal implications for such activities. Now, aggressors can be punished for their behaviors, regardless of the location and time of day those communications occur. Now, families of victims have more tools, more support, more hope! Among other things, David’s Law requires each public-school district to include cyberbullying in their district policies and to adopt and implement districtwide policies and procedures that will:
-
prohibit bullying of a student.
-
prohibit retaliation against anyone who provides information about a bullying incident.
-
establish actions students can take to obtain assistance and intervention in response to bullying.
-
design available counseling options for victims, perpetrators, and witnesses of bullying.
-
create a procedure for notifying parents and guardians about bullying incidents (notify a victim’s parent or guardian within three business days after a bullying incident. School officials must also notify the parent or guardian of the alleged bully within a reasonable amount of time).
-
create a way for students to anonymously report bullying.
-
establish procedures and time tables for investigating and verifying reported incidents of bullying.
-
prohibit disciplinary measures of a student who is a victim of bullying and used reasonable self-defense in response to the bullying.
-
ensure that discipline for bullying a student with disabilities complies with federal law, including the Individual with Disabilities Education Act.
CHILDHOOD IS CHANGING
​
Anxiety is the new norm
In 1985, 18 percent of teens said they suffered from overwhelming anxiety. By 2016 that number had surged to 41 percent.
​
​
Cyberbullying has exploded
Cyberbullying has almost doubled over the last 10 years. 59% of US teens have received intimidating, threatening or nasty messages online.
​
​
​
PORNOGRAPHY & SEXTING
Children get exposed to porn as early as 5 years old. Add a smartphone into the mix, and sexting isn’t far behind.
​
​
Addicted to Technology
Over half of US teens say they are addicted to the internet, saying they cannot function on a daily basis without it.
​
​
Teens driving distracted
Cell phone use is involved in 78% of all distracted driving and 64% of all accidents in the US— a massive increase over previous years.
​
​
Lack of empathy
70% of youth lack emotional intelligence because they’re talking to devices instead of other people. Studies show that prolonged screen time directly reduces a teen’s emotional intelligence.
9th - 12th grade curriculum
NOT A NUMBER- Child trafficking & exploitation, healthy relationships, & consent.
Through open conversations, engaging activities, the use of media, and opportunities for self-disclosure, participants will:
-
Raise their awareness of what constitutes human trafficking and exploitation.
-
Learn how to recognize recruitment tactics and understand vulnerabilities.
-
Challenge harmful stereotypes and societal attitudes.
-
Identify healthy support systems.
-
Develop skills to safely navigate potential and existing exploitative situations.
-
Learn how to access community resources when situations occur that increase their vulnerability (or if exploitation is already underway).
