07/06/2022
How to reduce the risk of your child being s*xually abused.
While nothing a parent does will absolutely prevent child s*xual abuse, there are steps you can take to reduce the risk of child offender victimization. Consider these steps to protect someone you love from child predators:
Be watchful – always be on the lookout for situations or behaviors that seem dangerous or suspicious. Always know where your child is.
Monitor online activities – know what you child does online to prevent access by online child predators.
Check policies – check child protection policies at organizations that interact with your child. For example, what is the policy on screening the people that coach soccer? Does the organization check the s*x offender registry?
Be with the child – accompany the child to public places like washrooms, stores and activities.
Communicate – be sure the child understands that he (or she) can tell you anything, even if he is afraid.
Rehearse – use "what if" scenarios to be sure a child knows what to do if a questionable situation arises. For example, "what would you do if you played a game with an adult that made you feel uncomfortable?" or, "what would you do if someone touched your private parts?"
Teach assertiveness – teach a child how to stand up to a child in an assertive manner. Make sure a child understands that being a good child doesn't mean just "blind obedience" to whatever any adult says.
Teach accurate names – label the body parts using the correct terms and use accurate names for s*x acts as developmentally appropriate. Make sure the child knows that it's not OK for someone to touch his private parts.
Model appropriate behavior – show a child what a healthy relationship between an adult and child should look like. Adults are not interested in child companionship and friendship. Children are friends with other children and adults are friends with adult
