How to Protect Children from Sexual Abuse

In Your Family

  • Learn the signs of possible abuse, and know how to respond. (See other side for resources.)
  • Talk with your children about their bodies. Teach them which parts of the body should not be touched by other people, and what those parts of the body are called. Inform your children that they have the right to refuse to be touched , or to touch others.
  • Assure your children that they can and should talk to you immediately if they are uncomfortable being alone with someone, or if someone asks them to keep secrets from you.
  • Talk with adult members of your family about the fact that an estimated 1 in 10 children is sexually abused before age 18. In environments that don’t have adequate safeguards, the proportion may be much higher. Encourage your family to learn how to recognize the signs of possible abuse, respond to children’s requests for help, report suspected child abuse to social service and law enforcement authorities, and help to prevent abuse from occurring.

In Your Community

  • Ask representatives of churches, day care centers, sports programs, and other youth-serving organizations about their sexual abuse prevention policies. If they don’t have any, inform them about the importance of preventing opportunities for abuse by ensuring that any one-on-one activities can be observed and interrupted by others. If your children are active with such an organization, make sure that they are not placed in a potentially dangerous situation. If organizations already do have sexual abuse prevention policies, make sure that they use them.
  • Break the silence that allows child sexual abuse to thrive. Share the facts about recognition, response, and prevention. Put a “Prevent Child Abuse” magnet or a “Kids First” license plate on your car. Ask candidates for leadership positions how they would help to keep children safe from sexual abuse. Get help to heal from abuse that you may have experienced yourself. Be open to others who may choose to tell you about their own experiences. Help your community to move from an attitude of fear, denial, and secrecy toward a position of awareness, prevention, and support for recovery.

In Your State and Nation

  • Write or email your elected representatives to ask them to support child safety. Let them know that this is an important issue in your decision about how you cast your vote. Thank them when they speak out or support measures that prevent child sexual abuse. (See other side for your representatives’ contact information.)
  • Support organizations that are working to keep kids safe. Join, volunteer, donate, participate in their events, and “friend” them on social networking sites such as Facebook.

It is up to adults to stop child sexual abuse. If what you do protects just one child, how will that make you feel?

Learn How to Prevent Child Abuse, How to Get Help, & How to Get Involved

Childhelp

Childhelp’s National Child Abuse Hotline is staffed around the clock by trained counselors who can offer advice on how to deal with current or past episodes of child sexual abuse. However, local law enforcement and county social services should always be contacted in cases of suspected child abuse.

Prevent Child Abuse – North Carolina

Prevent Child Abuse – North Carolina offers a free internet-based training program called “Recognizing and Responding to Suspicions of Child Maltreatment.” It contains information about the signs of possible child abuse and neglect, how to report it, and how North Carolina’s child protection system works. This 2-hour course can be completed at the user’s pace during one or more sessions. To take the course, click the Trainings tab on PCA-NC’s home page.

Darkness to Light

Stop It Now!

Rape, Abuse, Incest National Network (RAINN)

  • RAINN website
  • The National Sexual Assault Hotline: 800-656-4673 (800-656-HOPE) is also accessible through RAINN’s website.

Stop the Silence

Stop The Silence website

TEDI BEAR Children’s Advocacy Center at East Carolina University’s Brody School of Medicine

To schedule a free training session on child sexual abuse for your school, church, employer, club, or other organization, please call 252-744-8334.

Contact Your Elected Representatives