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So many stories in the last few weeks about kids being taken advantage of by predators. It is time time to be proactive and take care of our kids. Here are a few tips on how to keep our kids safe from predators:

GENERAL

  • Inform children that it is wrong for adults to touch them inappropriately and to engage children in sexual activity with them.
  • Encourage your children to feel comfortable telling you anything, especially if it involves another adult. If your child does not feel comfortable being completely honest with you, then encourage them find another trusted adult they can talk to in confidence.
  • Learn about the people with whom your child is spending time.
  • Protect children from sexual assault–Knowledge is power. Teach your children about their bodies. Teach them the correct language to use when describing their private parts. Emphasize that those parts are private.
  • Know where each of your children are all times. Know your children’s friends and be clear with your children about the places and homes they may visit. Make it a rule for your children to check in with you when they arrive at or depart from a particular location and when there is a change in plans. You should also let them know when YOU are running late or if your plans have changed so that they can see the rule is for their safety and not being used just to “check up” on them.
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    TEENS

    Adolescence can be a scary time for children, and one in which they are most at risk for sexual assault. Prepare for the possibility that as adolescents, they may engage in some risk-taking behavior and try to minimize that risk by educating them about the danger of sexual assault by friends, acquaintances, or others. This danger is enhanced when teenagers are abusing drugs or alcohol.

    • Encourage your teenager to trust her or his instincts and if a situation makes him or her uneasy, to get out of it.
    • Stress to them that they can always talk to you if they have been hurt or scared (regardless of the circumstances surrounding the incident).

    SOURCE: familiesonline magazine.com