Search Results for: blog how to ask a child if theyve been sexually abused

Help Your Child to NOT Look Like a Victim

We teach our children not to talk to strangers and about various aspects of stranger safety and awareness, but we might not know that we can coach our children to physically appear more “together” and less likely to be a victim. I am not talking about harping and harassing a child to “look tough”—but there are things that we can do as parents to help our children learn how to NOT appear like a victim. Years ago, when my younger sister was in college, she took a self-defense class geared toward young women. She learned a great deal about how … Continue reading →

New Database Lets Parents Search for Registered Sex Offenders

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Keeping our kids safe from sexual predators is a job parents are faced with every day. Now, with the help of a new service, you can find out of any registered offenders are living in your neighborhood or one you want to move to. The service is offered by PropertyMaps.com, a real estate search engine. The database contains a list of over 300,000 registered sex offenders gathered from each state’s official register. The intent is to alert home buyers to offenders in their area but you can also check your current location. From the homepage, click on “location information” to … Continue reading →

Teach Your Kids How To Talk To Strangers

As parents we spend time talking to our kids about not talking to strangers. We also talk to our kids about what to do if they get separated from us while we are out in public. Most of us tell them that they are to approach someone and ask for help. Many of us tell them to approach a woman since women are more likely to become emotionally invested in helping your child and are less likely to be sexual predators. Unfortunately some kids may be unable to approach a stranger and ask for help when they need it most. … Continue reading →

When Should Kids Be Allowed To Use Public Restrooms Alone?

Maybe I’m overprotective or just plain cautious. When Tyler and I are out in pubic I never allow him to go to a public restroom alone. He either goes in the ladies room with me, we use one of the family restrooms or if it’s one of those one-per-person deals, he can go in the men’s room alone while I stand guard at the door. But apparently not all parents are so cautious. Take the case of a couple in Iowa who sued a Wal-mart store because they say their 4-year-old son was sexually assaulted in the men’s room. The … Continue reading →

States Helping Parents Keep Kids Safe From Sex Offenders This Halloween

In just a couple of hours thousands of children will be hitting the streets hoping to bag some serious Halloween loot. In Wisconsin trick-or-treat hours vary from county to county. Since we live in a city that borders three counties we had trick-or-treaters visit yesterday, and more will come today and Tuesday. With so many trick-or-treat times and even more children wandering the streets the state is stepping in to help keep mini-ghosts and goblins safe from sex offenders. This is the first Halloween that Wisconsin is allowing parents accesses to specific addresses of sex offenders in their area, not … Continue reading →

Bitss of Caramel Marmalade on Toast – Megan Bayliss

Megan Bayliss is an advocate for children’s safety in her home country of Australia, working as a social worker. Her blogs on child sexual abuse have caught our attention and her devotion to bringing this to the forefront is admirable. In a desire to help her spread her word about the importance of keeping our children safe and teaching them how to deal with would-be predators, I’m reviewing her children’s book “Bitss of Caramel Marmalade on Toast.” Bitssy is a half-dingo who lives in the city with her owner. She has a beautiful backyard full of plants, flowers and trees … Continue reading →

The Use of Open-Ended Questions in Finding Out About Child Sexual Abuse

Children hate the volley of questions that they get from adults. Along with all the children I’ve worked with therapeutically over the years, my own children have told me that adult questions are like Policeman questions. Charming! When I’m trying to establish rapport and build a relationship with a child, the last thing I want to sound like is a Police person. The way you frame and use your questions is the trick. While questions are useful when starting a relationship, they can also quickly stifle it. Useful questions don’t just happen; they need planning and placement in a framework … Continue reading →