A Bellevue Safe Child town hall will be held on Sept. 18 at Highland Middle School.

The 7-8:30 p.m. event will include such topics as Preventing Crimes against Children, Real Risks for Families living on the Eastside, and Responding to Violence against your Child or Family.

The school is located at 15027 Bel-Red Road. Children are welcome to attend.

Organizers say that in Washington, and especially on the Eastside, the area is lucky to have low crime rates in most types of crime – but crimes against children are as high as anywhere else in the country: 33 percent of girls, and 20 percent of boys will experience sexual violence as minors.

The Safe Child will have participation from such organization as Legislative District 48, the Bellevue PTSA, the Bellevue Police Department, King County Sexual Assault Resource Center, Bellevue Parks, the Legislative Youth Advisory Council and Lake Washington School District PTSA.

The Safe Child Project includes articulation of the rights of the child, security education as part of mainstream parenting and security training for children from 3-18.

The goal of the Safe Child Project is to reduce the number of children abused and exploited in Washington and other participating states, and to create a lasting pattern of child and parent empowerment.