Child Sexual Abuse: How to Reduce Risks

The tips include:

• Teach your child about personal safety. Visit kidsintheknow.ca for more information.
• Learn about online risks to children and youth. Visit the doorthatsnotlocked.ca for more information.
• Be involved in your child’s life. Attend her/his activities and pay attention to the interactions between the adults and the children.
• Be vigilant of situations and behaviours that seem to be strange or present risk.
• Screen and chec k child protection policies at organizations and activities that your child attends. Visit commit2kids.ca for more information.
• Supervise your child. Know her/his whereabouts.
• Accompany your child to public areas (i.e. washrooms, stores, etc.) and to extracurricular activities.
• Communicate with your child and create opportunities for her/him to share her/his feelings/stories/opinions/ perspective with you.
• Use the correct terms for body parts when talking with your child. Explain to your child that it is not okay for anybody to touch her/his private parts and that secrets about touching are not okay (“unsafe” can be used with children 6 years of age and older). Encourage her/him to always tell you about any touching or secrets that are not okay/unsafe.
• Model appropriate boundaries between adults and children. Discuss with your child the role of adults (i.e. to protect and look out for the best interests of a child).
• Pay attention and report adults who repeatedly break boundaries and engage in inappropriate behaviour with children.
• Be emotionally available for your child. Let her/him know that you notice if s/he is “out of sorts,” or not her/himself. Ask the question, “Is there anything I can help you with?” Let your child know that you are available when s/he is ready to talk.