Protecting Your Children

I know most of us are not parents, but for those of you who are or plan to be, there are many ways to help protect your children from sexual assault. Many of these can be found on the RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network) website, a great source for protection tips.

Talk to Your Children

The most influential and meaningful tool that we can use as humans is communication. Much of the time, we underestimate the power of simply talking. As we all know, discussions about anything sexual with your parents can be very awkward. No one wants to deal with awkward situations, so naturally we avoid them. When discussing sexual assault, this is not a topic that should be avoided. Children won't know how to avoid certain situations unless you educate them on how to do so. The more openly we talk about these things with our children, the more comfortable and less awkward they will feel when they need to talk about them. If a problem arises involving something sexual, they need to feel comfortable with approaching you about it. You're their helpline, and they depend on you for protection and education.
When educating them on the topic, tell them like it is. It is absolutely necessary to be as blunt as possible so that they fully understand. Tell them where strangers should not be touching, what kind of touching is appropriate versus what kinds are not appropriate. Educate them on how to say "no" and how to make it known that they are not interested. They need to be confident when involved with these types of situations. Obviously they need to know what is okay within the family: hugging, kissing, certain touching, etc. Differentiating between the two needs to be made clear to them.
They also need to know that these things are not to be kept secret if they do happen. Too many children are embarrassed to discuss these things and don't know that they can come to their parents for help. They need to be comfortable with telling their parents and knowing that their parents will help them and protect them from further harm.

Be involved

Be as involved as possible in your child's life. When the teacher asks for chaperones on field trips, volunteer. When your child has any kind of sporting event, whether it be practice or a game, go! Support your child as much as possible and make it known to them that you will always be there to cheer them on. Get to know the teachers, coaches, parents, peers, teammates, and so on.
Ask about how their day was at school, if they made any new friends, etc.
Watch television with them. Have movie nights. Practice sports with them. Take them to the park. Try to focus more on fun activities you can do together that will bring you even closer.
We are all busy, we all have crazy jobs and a million things to do. But set aside time to spend with your child when they aren't in school. Get them outside, constantly try new things, involve them in new sports, figure out what their favorites are and involve them further in that. Allow them to excel and develop their passion.. and do it with them. Make it known that you will be there every step of the way and that they can always turn to you for support, no matter the situation.