As questions swirl around the Penn State child sexual abuse case, children's safety advocates urge parents, families, educators and youth organizations to be more alert and proactive.
Abuse is far from rare. Experts cite these classic statistics:
One in four girls and one in six boys will experience some sort of sexual abuse by age 18 (studies vary widely).
Victims come from all socioeconomic groups and communities.
90% are victimized by someone the family knows and trusts.
Parents can help keep their children safe by teaching them the correct terminology to describe their body parts and what kind of touching and interaction is off-limits.
But that's not enough, says Jolie Logan, chief executive officer of Darkness to Light, a Charleston, S.C.-based national non-profit that focuses on public awareness: "Putting the burden on children to protect themselves is not fair and doesn't work."
Indeed, "from research we know that before the age of 9, a child is rarely going to tell an offender 'no' because they have been taught to do what adults tell them to," says Teresa Huizar, executive director of the National Children's Alliance, a Washington, D.C.-based training group. "They will, however, tell a trusted adult what happened" when asked.
Youth groups should have policies that minimize or eliminate secluded adult-child interactions, says pediatrician David Shapiro, director of the Mayerson Center for Safe & Healthy Children at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center. "If an organization hasn't already established such rules and regulations, you should make sure they do it today.
"No one wants to think their child will be victimized," Shapiro says, "but every parent should be thinking about this just as they think about their child's safety when riding a bike or crossing the street."
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