Of course parents also need to be vigilant and do the other things discussed in previous articles on this topic: Avoid sleepovers except for at homes you are 100% comfortable with. Even then you’ll always want to ask if there’s anyone that’s going to be there that you or your child does not know—for example, a visiting relative or a friend of an older sibling. Monitor your childcare situation carefully if they are out of your care for any time during the week, asking appropriate questions such as “Did anything happen today that made you feel uncomfortable?” after you ask the usual “how was your day?” Also continue to carefully monitor the content that they see online and on their phones as well as who they are communicating with electronically.
There are some things in life we simply cannot prevent, but I know this for sure: if talking to my child about potential sexual abuse can save them from a harmful situation, I will do it until I’m blue in the face. And I suggest you do the same.
