PARIS – The Rape Education and Crisis Hotline will hold an introductory session tonight about a pilot program the organization is starting at the Paris Elementary School this fall.

The session will go from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the school’s cafeteria.

Debbie Barker, an educator with the organization, will be at the school for three weeks in October to teach measures to prevent sexual abuse of children.

Teachers at the school have already received an overview of the course.

“It’s really kind of a working effort on our part and on the school’s part,” said Debbie Dempsky, director of REACH.

Children in kindergarten through second grade will be taught “Three Kinds of Touching,” which focuses on the difference between safe contact and sexual or violent contact. Children in grades three through six will be taught “Child Lures Prevention,” which teaches children how to avoid sex offenders.

Dempsky says the goal of the program is not to make children feel unsafe, as it carries the message that most people are generally decent.

Barker will be in the classroom on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays and will visit each classroom twice to fully cover the class.

Dempsky said the introduction for parents will discuss the curriculum as well as basic information about preventing abuse of children.

While REACH initially discussed bullying in elementary schools, Dempsky says it has taken time for discussion of sexual abuse to be accepted. REACH has spoken on the subject before in middle and high schools.

“This for us was a natural sequence,” said Dempsky.

Dempsky said Barker will be available if teachers, parents or children have questions for her. She said that schools may decide to incorporate the program into existing health classes.