Kimberly Rae is back on the blog today to share the next part in her series to teach parents and child-care providers how to recognize and avoid sexual abuse. Be sure to check out Kimberly’s coloring book, I Am Safe, and companion book that explains important safety habits for children in a non-threatening manner. Keep reading to find out how you can download a few FREE pages below!
When I first had kids, if someone told me I should talk with my children at an early age about good touch/bad touch, private parts, and rules about what to do if an adult crossed the boundaries into inappropriate behavior, I’d have probably shrunk away and thought that was over-the-top paranoid. I protect and shelter my children, and that should be enough, right? Besides, what would I say and how would I bring up the topic without telling them way more than they needed to hear?
Not anymore. Now that I know that 90% of childhood sexual abuse cases occur with someone the child already knows, and more than half are with an adult or older child the family trusts, I don’t assume that strangers are the only danger to my children, and if I keep them from suspicious people, they will be safe.
- In as many as 93% of child sexual abuse cases, the child knows the person who commits the abuse.
- Only approximately 30% of cases are reported to authorities.
- 69% of the teen sexual assaults reported to law enforcement occurred in the residence of the victim, the offender, or another individual.
- Approximately 1 in 5 female high school students report being physically and/or sexually abused by a dating partner.
- Approximately 1 in 7 (13%) youth Internet users received unwanted sexual solicitations (nsopr.gov)
When I first started working on I AM SAFE, a coloring book to train about sexual abuse in a non-frightening way, I received this message:
Hi, I just read in one of your posts you are creating a coloring book to help kids – that is a great idea! When I was growing up I could have used it! When I was little I needed to know – what to do if your best friend’s little brother is touching you on a private part repeatedly even though you tell him to stop – this happened with 2 different friend’s brothers…. I did tell my parent, except with one case in which I never said anything. I didn’t know how to prevent it from happening repeatedly with one boy. I didn’t tell the boys parents.
Those experiences were all difficult, it would have helped to have very specific and clear instructions. Also, my Mom and the boys’ Moms should have figured out how to stop it, but they also didn’t know what to do. You should include some instructions for parents. It’s not that the parents are bad they just don’t know how to stop the behavior…. In most of these cases I felt helpless.
This is just one woman out of so many. It is estimated that 1 in every 4 women and 1 in every 6 men have experienced some form of childhood sexual abuse. I hate, hate, hate that and want it to stop.
My way of doing that is training my own children, and helping other moms (and advocates, teachers, church workers, etc.) train the children they love how to recognize inappropriate behavior. Below you’ll find sheets from my new coloring book, I AM SAFE. You are welcome to print and use these pages for your personal use, and you can find more pages or order the book at www.kimberlyrae.com. If you’re in a ministry setting and would like permission for bulk copies, use the contact button at www.kimberlyrae.com.
Click the image below to open in new tab and save to your computer!
The coloring book is meant to be able to teach on its own, but tomorrow we’ll talk more about predatory behavior and what adults should know to be able to help children have an action plan, one I hope they’ll never need, but just in case…
Next Post: Child Predators and What To Do If…
Award-winning author of 20 books, Kimberly Rae loves to write and train on how God’s people can fight human trafficking. Her series of suspense/romance novels (Stolen Woman, Stolen Child, Stolen Future) are all Amazon bestsellers. Rae also has a series for teens and pre-teens (Capturing Jasmina, Buying Samir, Seeking Mother) presenting modern-day slavery in an age-appropriate way.
Get printable handouts on trafficking or find out more at www.kimberlyrae.com.
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Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
