Invited to speak at the Salzburg Global Session series Education for Tomorrow’s World, just one such event of its kind on her international speaking circuit, consulting educational sociologist Dr. Ayelet Giladi brings her first-of-its-kind research in sexual harassment education and prevention in early childhood development pertinent to academics, teachers, learning facilitators, and parents everywhere.
As an expert in the field of sexual harassment, one which only recently gained traction due to high-profile news reports in corporate business and Hollywood entertainment circles; Dr. Giladi continues to lead global audiences back to the roots of where and how sexual harassment starts.
The Roots of Sexual Harassment
“My participation in the Salzburg Global Sessions – I was invited back on three different occasions – were pivotal in challenging present and future leaders to this issue of global concern. The sessions are collaborative and offer opportunities for high-level reflection, hard questions, and groundbreaking thinking.
“I was able to share my research which identifies that as children play and express themselves freely on the playground, we can pinpoint when innocent play crosses the boundary into sexually harassing behaviours.
Society’s Responsibility for our Children
“As a society, it is our responsibility to bring our resources, time, and abilities to the prevention of sexual harassment at this early developmental stage in children before further learned behaviours become habitual influences which later wreak so much damage.
“Sexual abuses at an early age can play out as a lifetime economic burden of further sexual abuse and rape for its many victims and much effort, time, and effect for the medical and psychological practitioners who must cope with it.”
Voice of the Child Prevention Programs
Giladi centres her research and the subsequent sharing of her Voice of the Child Association educational programs in the prevention of sexual harassment and abuse over three levels:
- Academic lectures, conference presentations, and global seminars with other researchers, professors, psychologists, and educationists who work in early childhood development and learning for greater understanding, knowledge and research sharing, and future learning in human development and expansion.
- Through teacher training in the Voice of the Child facilitated educational programs for national dissemination in schools and through teacher training colleges, universities, and funded partnerships support, educate and uplift developing rural communities.
- With her book ‘No Children’s Play – Early Childhood Sexual Harassment, Understanding, Coping and Prevention in the Educational System and Community’, she offers insight for parents and educators everywhere on the phenomena of bullying, cyberbullying, and sexual harassment among children and adolescents and how her programs address the pre-requisite characteristic of engendering dignity, respect, and integrity for every child. She also offers tools for parents to become active in their children’s lives.
Early Childhood Development Education
“Because we are working with such young and developing children – my programs are taught to students as young as 5 years of age.
“I focus my programs through the global education system in delivering social and emotional learning, but it is just as important to engage families and the greater community at the same time.
“While participants might have cultural and ethnic differences, we can actively engage every community no matter their country or background orientation. As we know, sexual and child abuse occurs across every socio-economic grouping,” she says.
National Education Programs over Countries and Cultures
Following her research doctorate and subsequent 10 years’ experience as manager of Early Childhood programs at the Research Institute for Innovation in Education at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Dr. Giladi continues to roll out her programs for school students in educational facilities across Israel with accreditation from the Israel Education Department where her facilitated programs reach diverse ethnic and religious communities and families ‘at risk’ – those with children who may not have adequate early life upbringing, giving them early-life skills and providing parents with the tools to help their children.
“In many ways, society has become immune to sexual harassment and other gender abuses, so much so, that adults, let alone children, are unable to identify when it takes place or understands how to manage or respond to it.
“We have allowed gender inequality to become normalized behavior in mainstream society. I cannot tell you how many educators who have been through my workshops and other well-educated delegates who have attended my seminars have said to me: ‘I didn’t realise at the time, but I was a victim of sexual harassment. I can now see just how much it affected my life.
“This is the understanding I want to bring to the world. We need to start by empowering our children with their own skillset of tools in its prevention into the future.”
To order a copy of her book or make a booking to have Dr. Ayelet Giladi present at your next corporate or association seminar, contact us.