THE BARBARA SINATRA CHILDREN'S CENTER TO DEBUT SHORT FILM "ARE YOU LISTENING?" TO RAISE AWARENESS FOR YOUTH-ON-YOUTH CONSENT

This short film was created with Wonder Media and will be a free, online resource available to teens, educators and parents

RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif., Aug. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Barbara Sinatra Children's Center Foundation released today a short film titled, Are You Listening? in collaboration with Wonder Media. This video was created as a part of The Barbara Sinatra Children's Center's FightChildAbuse.org Teen Series, focusing on the importance of youth-on-youth consent. According to the Center, youth who experience sexual assault are more likely to be victimized by a peer or a partner, and of the 1 in 4 girls who suffer some type of sexual assault by age 18, nearly 30% are victimized by a current partner.

The animated story follows three friends –Ivy, Taryn, and Kai– who clash at a party and are navigating the aftermath of a situation where one of them did not consent. With the help of their school counselor, they repair the rift between them and discover that despite their different points of view, their experiences have more in common than they think. This discovery helps Ivy, Taryn and Kai remember the importance of "ASK, LISTEN, RESPECT" in order to keep each other safe.

"This film highlights the importance of parents and teachers discussing the topic of consent with children and teens, in order to promote the safety and security of kids everywhere," said John Thoresen, CEO of the Barbara Sinatra Children's Center Foundation. "As kids are heading back to school, we hope this film serves as a resource and teaching tool in classrooms and homes across the country."

The film follows the Barbara Sinatra Children's Center Foundation's award-winning 2021 short film release, Are You Okay? and the 2022 short film, Is Anybody Out There?.

About the Barbara Sinatra Children's Center: Founded in 1986 by Barbara and Frank Sinatra, the Barbara Sinatra Children's Center is dedicated to ensuring every child's right to a normal, healthy and secure childhood. Since its creation, about 25,000 children have received outpatient mental health and counseling services at the Center. The Center provides individual, group, and family therapy and special programs that address issues associated with children suffering the effects of child abuse and neglect. An estimated 700 children are counseled annually on an outpatient basis, and no child is ever turned away because of a family's inability to pay. For more information, visit BarbaraSinatraChildrensCenter.org. The animated video series, funded by the Barbara Sinatra Children's Center Foundation, has reached over 200 million children worldwide and generated over 64 million individual and group viewings on YouTube throughout the United States and abroad, with India as the second largest user behind the U.S. For more information and resources, visit FightChildAbuse.Org and view the Protect Yourself Rule Video Series at YouTube.com/@fightchildabuse1913.

SOURCE The Barbara Sinatra Children's Center