10 Ways to Protect Our Children from Child Abuse and Predators

It is both gratifying and frightening when we see child abusers and predators being captured on news reports. We are grateful that they have been caught. But, we are frightened for the safety of our children and those of others because there seem to be so many of them. There are perhaps more than there have ever been and we are more aware of the problem due to global news reports, 24 hours a day. Consequently, we all need to learn safety procedures to protect our children from predators.

1. TEACHING CHILDREN SKILLS. It is very difficult for a child to refuse the direct command of an adult. What adults tell them to do, they assume is correct and normal. Therefore it is very difficult for children to distinguish between when they can say "no" to an adult and when they can not. However, we can still teach children about "good touch and bad touch," that covers physical and sexual abuse and making it acceptable to talk to a trusted adult about anything that scares or confuses a child. We need to look at how to teach our kids to recognize unacceptable behavior, say "no" to an adult who is doing bad things to them and run and get help if they can. We need to make it acceptable to talk about and report abuse to an authority figure. That being said it is up to us as adults to monitor what is happening to them, know the boundaries, and keep them safe. A child may not be able to say, "no" or even report what is going on, if the adult abusers tells them not to tell anyone.

2. STRANGER DANGER AND TRUSTED ADULT DANGER. It is not only the stangers that pose a risk to our children, it can be someone that is known to and trusted by the family. We can teach our children to not go with a stranger, but what happens when the predator is a relative, preacher, teacher, scout leader, or coach? This is very confusing to parents and children. How do you teach this concept without scaring them? Explain things based on the developmental level of the child and try not to frighten her. It is still your job to be the primary protector. Build an excellent relationship with your children. Talk every day about their activites. Make sure communication is open for ANY topic.

3. THERAPY READILY AVAILABLE FOR VICTIMS. All victims of abuse should have easy access to counseling services. School based mental health programs can make therapists more readily available to students when they are troubled. Adults should be knowledgeable about the signs that children are in need of counseling.

4. TAKE ACTION WHEN A CHILD HAS BEEN ABUSED. The main goal is to catch and stop the perpetrator of child abuse and provide services for the victim. The two main agencies that provide investigations of child abuse are the local, county or state police, and the county Department of Social Services. Both can be found in your phone book. It does not matter who you call first, either agency will advise you about what to do next. Then locate and make an appointment with a counselor or therapist for your child and yourself, if needed. Support anf healing is needed as soon as possible.

5. FOR CHILDREN TO BE SAFE, SEX OFFENDERS MUST LEARN HOW TO NOT REPEAT THEIR OFFENSES. Most sex offenders are released at some point, back into the community. Some never go to jail. There are treatments that make them less dangerous when they are in the community. There should be mandatory risk assessment and treatment for every convicted sex offender while in jail and in the community. The goal is "No More Victims." If there is no sex offender treatment in your town, speak up and make it happen. It is the best way to protect your child. I would rather have a sex offender in treatment and being monitored than not being treated and monitored. We can reduce his risk of re-offending that way.

6. LET'S STOP THE CYCLE OF ABUSE. Some child abusers were also abused as children. To stop the cycle, we have to stop child abuse in all forms. Over 3,000,000 children are abused and neglected every year. Some percentage of them grow up to be child abusers. We must support resources to care for and protect abused and neglected children. What can your faith or civic organization do to help stop child abuse? How can they help desparate parents who are overwhelmed with raising their children? The problem is very large and will take much effort to solve.

7. STUDY THE PROBLEM. Child abuse is a complex problem. Only if we study sexual and violent offenders can we prevent their actions. We need to study perpetrators to see what makes them tick and what created their inability to empathize with the pain of another. Research can guide us into prevention and treatment avenues. You can support research in this area by calling your legislators. We can lock them up, but remember they almost all get out of jail. We need "NO MORE VICTIMS" when they are released into the community.

8. STREET CHILDREN. There are millions of abandoned street children around the world. They have to survive any way they can. Many are pulled into criminal and terrorist groups because they have no other way to feed, cloth, or house themselves. Ways to house, clothe, feed, educate, and provide health care for these children must be found. As some of these street children mature into adulthood, they will abuse other street children, become criminal, and be recruited by terrorist groups. If you want to stop terrorism in the future, Support aid to poor, unprotected children, wherever they are in the world.

9. LEARN AS MUCH AS YOU CAN ABOUT PREDATORS. There are certain characteristics of violent and sexual offenders that can help you spot a possible predator, but they are also very good at fooling people. They can be the nicest and most helpful person you ever met, but be interested in your child at the same time. Parents need to supervise their children and know about the adults they are with. It is not normal for an adult to spend all of his time with children and no time with other adults. Educate yourself about predators. There is lots of information online.

10. MONITOR YOUR CHILDREN'S ACTIVITIES. Take your turn supervising a school or church activity for children. get to know the other parents, teachers, and coaches. There should always be 2 adults with every child activity. If another adult acts suspiciously, check it out. have open discussions with other parents about any concerns. Don't be afraid to ask questions.

This is not meant to add to the firestorm that is presently raging about sexual offending, but to start the dialogue about what we can do? We need to educate ourselves and take action to protect our children and, as you can see, there are many ways to do that.

Article Source: http://www.articleselections.com

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