12 Important Skills Your Child Will Learn from Body Safety Education
As a teacher, a mother and an advocate for Body Safety Education both at home and at school, I am very proud and very loud about the work I do. As we know from recent media reports, many children have been and are silent victims of sexual abuse. This needs to change. Our children need to be loud and proud that they are educated in Body Safety. This sends a very clear message to sex offenders that children today are empowered and know to tell! Here are 12 important skills your child will learn when educated in Body Safety. 1....
12 Important Skills Your Child Will Learn from Body Safety Education
As a teacher, a mother and an advocate for Body Safety Education both at home and at school, I am very proud and very loud about the work I do. As we know from recent media reports, many children have been and are silent victims of sexual abuse. This needs to change. Our children need to be loud and proud that they are educated in Body Safety. This sends a very clear message to sex offenders that children today are empowered and know to tell! Here are 12 important skills your child will learn when educated in Body Safety. 1....
Top 15 Must-Have Children’s Books on Personal Safety and Emotional Health
Keeping Kids Safe from Sexual Abuse 1. Some Secrets Should Never Be Kept by Jayneen Sanders Some Secrets Should Never Be Kept is a beautifully illustrated picture book that sensitively broaches the subject of keeping our children safe from inappropriate touch. We teach water safety and road safety but how do we teach 'body safety' to young children in a way that is neither frightening nor confronting? This book is an invaluable tool for parents, caregivers, teachers and health professionals. The comprehensive notes to the reader and discussion questions at the back of the book support both the reader and...
Top 15 Must-Have Children’s Books on Personal Safety and Emotional Health
Keeping Kids Safe from Sexual Abuse 1. Some Secrets Should Never Be Kept by Jayneen Sanders Some Secrets Should Never Be Kept is a beautifully illustrated picture book that sensitively broaches the subject of keeping our children safe from inappropriate touch. We teach water safety and road safety but how do we teach 'body safety' to young children in a way that is neither frightening nor confronting? This book is an invaluable tool for parents, caregivers, teachers and health professionals. The comprehensive notes to the reader and discussion questions at the back of the book support both the reader and...
Protect Your Child from Sexual Abuse
The statistics on the sexual abuse of children are staggering. Some estimates place the incidence as high as 1 in 3 girls and 1 in 6 boys are sexually abused before their 18th birthday (Aust. Institute of Criminology, 1993). As parents, teachers and community members, what can we do to ensure both our children and children we come in contact with are protected, informed and safe? These 4 key points are crucial. 1. Education Learn how to protect your child from sexual abuse by educating them in Body Safety, and educating yourself and your community. 2. Awareness Become aware of...
Protect Your Child from Sexual Abuse
The statistics on the sexual abuse of children are staggering. Some estimates place the incidence as high as 1 in 3 girls and 1 in 6 boys are sexually abused before their 18th birthday (Aust. Institute of Criminology, 1993). As parents, teachers and community members, what can we do to ensure both our children and children we come in contact with are protected, informed and safe? These 4 key points are crucial. 1. Education Learn how to protect your child from sexual abuse by educating them in Body Safety, and educating yourself and your community. 2. Awareness Become aware of...
Pedophiles Groom Both the Child and the Family
Up to 95% of child sexual abusers are male (Bagley, 1995). They can be single, married and have families of their own. Up to 1/3 of reported offenses are committed by adolescents (Bagley, 1995). 95% of abusers will be known to the family (Child Protection Council, 1993). They will be a trusted friend and/or family member. Need more convincing? Check out our Statistics page... It is crucial to note, that child sex offenders ‘groom’ both the child and the family. It is also important to note, that the sexual abuse of children has no social boundaries. Child sexual offenders...
Pedophiles Groom Both the Child and the Family
Up to 95% of child sexual abusers are male (Bagley, 1995). They can be single, married and have families of their own. Up to 1/3 of reported offenses are committed by adolescents (Bagley, 1995). 95% of abusers will be known to the family (Child Protection Council, 1993). They will be a trusted friend and/or family member. Need more convincing? Check out our Statistics page... It is crucial to note, that child sex offenders ‘groom’ both the child and the family. It is also important to note, that the sexual abuse of children has no social boundaries. Child sexual offenders...
Mindful, Resilient and Focused Learners
As a mother of three teenage daughters and an experienced elementary school teacher, I am deeply concerned about our kids. Let me explain. Children today live in a world filled with technology — ipad interaction from birth, social media from pre-teens and access to everything and anything on the Internet from a very young age. Don’t get me wrong, as a teacher I know technology can be an amazing tool for learning. Extraordinary really. What does deeply trouble me, is the negative aspect of child/learner interaction with technology. I have come back to teaching after four years away. What I...
Mindful, Resilient and Focused Learners
As a mother of three teenage daughters and an experienced elementary school teacher, I am deeply concerned about our kids. Let me explain. Children today live in a world filled with technology — ipad interaction from birth, social media from pre-teens and access to everything and anything on the Internet from a very young age. Don’t get me wrong, as a teacher I know technology can be an amazing tool for learning. Extraordinary really. What does deeply trouble me, is the negative aspect of child/learner interaction with technology. I have come back to teaching after four years away. What I...
10 Confronting Child Sexual Abuse Statistics
1. 1 in 3 girls and 1 in 6 boys will be sexually abused before their 18th birthday. (Aust. Institute of Criminology, 1993) 2. In 95% of cases, the sexual offender is known to the child, that is, they are a relative or trusted friend. Only 5% of child sexual assault cases are ‘stranger danger’. (Child protection Council, 1993) 3. 84% of sexual victimization of children under 12 occurs in a residence. (Snyder, 2000) 4. 453 pedophiles revealed they were collectively responsible for the molestation of over 67,000 children; that averages 148 children per individual. (Abel, 1994) 5. The...
10 Confronting Child Sexual Abuse Statistics
1. 1 in 3 girls and 1 in 6 boys will be sexually abused before their 18th birthday. (Aust. Institute of Criminology, 1993) 2. In 95% of cases, the sexual offender is known to the child, that is, they are a relative or trusted friend. Only 5% of child sexual assault cases are ‘stranger danger’. (Child protection Council, 1993) 3. 84% of sexual victimization of children under 12 occurs in a residence. (Snyder, 2000) 4. 453 pedophiles revealed they were collectively responsible for the molestation of over 67,000 children; that averages 148 children per individual. (Abel, 1994) 5. The...
Terrifying Statistics Linking Child Sexual Abuse and Porn Internet Use
• European researchers (COPINE) … found 78% of offenders charged with downloading or possessing abusive images had abused children prior to, or soon after viewing images. On average, each offender had abused up to 30 different children. (Personal correspondence with Briggs 5th Jan 2006) • 1 in 4 men arrested for possessing child pornography had a history of molesting children. (Software Tracks Child Porn Traffickers On-line, USA Today 16th April 2008) • In the US National Juvenile Online Victimization Survey by Wolak, Mitchell and Finkelhor (2003), it was found that a majority of the offenders arrested for possession...
Terrifying Statistics Linking Child Sexual Abuse and Porn Internet Use
• European researchers (COPINE) … found 78% of offenders charged with downloading or possessing abusive images had abused children prior to, or soon after viewing images. On average, each offender had abused up to 30 different children. (Personal correspondence with Briggs 5th Jan 2006) • 1 in 4 men arrested for possessing child pornography had a history of molesting children. (Software Tracks Child Porn Traffickers On-line, USA Today 16th April 2008) • In the US National Juvenile Online Victimization Survey by Wolak, Mitchell and Finkelhor (2003), it was found that a majority of the offenders arrested for possession...
Links Between Child Sexual Abuse and Internet Pornography
As a teenager growing up in the seventies, I knew pornography existed through schoolyard chatter and discussion. I knew it existed in the form of magazines and videos — most often obtained behind a blacked-out door, only enterable if you were over 18. And for those who did enter, you hoped none of your friends or family saw you! In 2014, internet pornography exists, and it is free and all-too-accessible to anyone of any age with an internet-enabled device such as a smart phone, tablet, computer or game console. First up, in a time of internet pornography, the key...
Links Between Child Sexual Abuse and Internet Pornography
As a teenager growing up in the seventies, I knew pornography existed through schoolyard chatter and discussion. I knew it existed in the form of magazines and videos — most often obtained behind a blacked-out door, only enterable if you were over 18. And for those who did enter, you hoped none of your friends or family saw you! In 2014, internet pornography exists, and it is free and all-too-accessible to anyone of any age with an internet-enabled device such as a smart phone, tablet, computer or game console. First up, in a time of internet pornography, the key...
How to Educate Your Child in Body Safety
We teach our children water safety and road safety — it is equally important to teach our children ‘body safety’ from a very young age. As both a teacher and a mother, I strongly recommend to all parents that ‘body safety’ become a normal part of your parenting conversation. The sexual abuse of children has no social boundaries, and providing children with body safety skills both empowers them with knowledge of what is good and bad touch, and teaches simple but effective assertiveness — a crucial life-skill. The statistics of 1 in 3 girls and I in 6 boys will...
How to Educate Your Child in Body Safety
We teach our children water safety and road safety — it is equally important to teach our children ‘body safety’ from a very young age. As both a teacher and a mother, I strongly recommend to all parents that ‘body safety’ become a normal part of your parenting conversation. The sexual abuse of children has no social boundaries, and providing children with body safety skills both empowers them with knowledge of what is good and bad touch, and teaches simple but effective assertiveness — a crucial life-skill. The statistics of 1 in 3 girls and I in 6 boys will...
Our Last Taboo — Child Sexual Abuse
Every day I feel more and more hopeful that our last taboo in this our ‘modern’ and ‘forward-thinking society’ is being, not only discussed, but acted upon. The prevention of child sexual abuse and its devastating aftermath, is finally being talked about in mainstream society. Not as quickly and not as openly as I would like, but I do believe more and more parents and educators are willing to discuss what they can do to prevent future generations of children from its crippling consequences. When I wrote Some Secrets Should Never Be Kept three years ago, the subject of child...
Our Last Taboo — Child Sexual Abuse
Every day I feel more and more hopeful that our last taboo in this our ‘modern’ and ‘forward-thinking society’ is being, not only discussed, but acted upon. The prevention of child sexual abuse and its devastating aftermath, is finally being talked about in mainstream society. Not as quickly and not as openly as I would like, but I do believe more and more parents and educators are willing to discuss what they can do to prevent future generations of children from its crippling consequences. When I wrote Some Secrets Should Never Be Kept three years ago, the subject of child...
Why I Wrote Some Secrets Should Never Be Kept
Many years ago when I was having a break from teaching, I worked as an editor at an educational publisher. One of the first books I ever edited was a teacher’s resource called ‘Keeping Children Safe’ by Dr Freda Briggs. It was all about teaching children body safety and it had a huge impact on me as a young woman. Many years later when I became a mother, I made sure my three daughters were educated in body safety and knew the difference between good and bad touch. Knowing I had educated them from a young age (3 years onwards),...
Why I Wrote Some Secrets Should Never Be Kept
Many years ago when I was having a break from teaching, I worked as an editor at an educational publisher. One of the first books I ever edited was a teacher’s resource called ‘Keeping Children Safe’ by Dr Freda Briggs. It was all about teaching children body safety and it had a huge impact on me as a young woman. Many years later when I became a mother, I made sure my three daughters were educated in body safety and knew the difference between good and bad touch. Knowing I had educated them from a young age (3 years onwards),...
Reassurance After a Child has Disclosed Sexual Abuse
As a parent of three teenagers, I was horrified to read of a mother and father’s reaction to their child’s rape at a friend’s party. The 14-year-old was drugged and than raped by a number of boys. Under a counsellors’s guidance, the teenager’s parents were told — their reaction had devastating consequences. They called their daughter a slut and all blame was put on her young shoulders. Later that year, she committed suicide. How different that young girl’s life might have been, had she been supported by her parents, told she was loved and that she was never to blame....
Reassurance After a Child has Disclosed Sexual Abuse
As a parent of three teenagers, I was horrified to read of a mother and father’s reaction to their child’s rape at a friend’s party. The 14-year-old was drugged and than raped by a number of boys. Under a counsellors’s guidance, the teenager’s parents were told — their reaction had devastating consequences. They called their daughter a slut and all blame was put on her young shoulders. Later that year, she committed suicide. How different that young girl’s life might have been, had she been supported by her parents, told she was loved and that she was never to blame....