MI program will focus on personal safety conversations for youth

Published 7:30 am Thursday, November 27, 2025

Emblazoned on a flier for an upcoming parent education program is the message, “These conversations aren’t always easy — but they’re essential.”

The “Moving Beyond Stranger Danger: Personal Safety Conversations for Today’s Youth” program, which will share vital information for all parents and caregivers of K-12 children, is slated from 6:30-8 p.m. Dec. 8 at the Mercer Island Community and Events Center.

One of the presenters, the Mercer Island Youth and Family Services (YFS) department, noted that the program is being brought to the community in response to the alleged sexual misconduct by a pair of former teachers at Mercer Island High School. After the news broke, local parents requested information to better understand how to support their child’s personal safety.

YFS will collaborate with MI Parent Edge and King County Sexual Assault Resource Center (KCSARC) specialists to present the program. In a recent announcement, the Mercer Island School District said that it encourages the community to attend the program.

At the Nov. 13 school board meeting, Superintendent Fred Rundle said that YFS is a great internal partner and he appreciates their work along with the district’s PTAs, boosters and others at the meeting. He added that the Dec. 8 program will focus on “the overall protection of our students.”

According to the program information sheet, parents and caregivers will learn about what “stranger danger” misses in today’s context; how youth are navigating online and offline safety; tools and strategies to help families discuss boundaries, consent and safety; and ways to support children’s confidence and decision making. The presenters will also field questions from the audience.

“News of sexual assault involving minors ripples throughout communities and requires a community-wide approach to healing. So, to compliment the supports youth are receiving in the schools, parents will be offered their own training on how to talk with their kids about boundaries, consent and safety. In addition, trainings like this keep the focus on the needs of survivors, who so often ask that assaults are prevented from happening to anyone else, and informed parents are a critical part of this goal,” said YFS Administrator Derek Franklin.

Added MI Parent Edge’s Jackie Tan: “The recent events are a reminder that we, as parents, need to have these important conversations with our kids of all ages about consent, boundaries and their personal safety. We are lucky to have KCSARC as a resource for our community in supporting survivors and by providing education to help us navigate these difficult, yet essential discussions.”

Representing the nonprofit KCSARC at the Dec. 8 program will be prevention services specialists Jessica Cowles and Hannah Pepin, and Director of Prevention and Education Services Chris Johnson. KCSARC has been providing training and consultation to the YFS staff since August (and met with some MIHS staffers on a recent day), and YFS approached the resource center in October to become involved in the parent meeting.

Johnson said the resource center often collaborates with other entities for such meetings.

“We have responded to several schools, districts, parent and student groups that have reached out for expertise, guidance and training in responding to survivors and preventing further abuse. This is an issue that more schools than we imagine are navigating. We’re glad to be of service and this is part of our mission,” Johnson noted.

KCSARC hopes the Dec. 8 meeting will begin an ongoing conversation with Mercer Island parents and adults regarding safety and prevention.

Free, confidential help and information is available at the KCSARC’s 24-hour Resource Line at 1-888-998-6423 and at https://www.kcsarc.org/en/get-help-now/