Protecting our Children from Sex Trafficking and Abuse: What All Parents Need to Know

Key warning signs of sexual abuse go beyond the physical symptoms of sexually- transmitted infections and signs of trauma to the genital area, such as unexplained bleeding, bruising or blood on the sheets, underwear or other clothing. The behavioral and emotional signs include things such as excessive talk about or knowledge of sexual topics, keeping secrets, not talking as much as usual, not wanting to be left alone with certain people or even being afraid to be away from primary caregivers, especially if this is a new behavior, a regressive behavior or resuming a behavior they had grown out of, such as thumb-sucking or bedwetting. 

Victims of sexual abuse, especially children, can also exhibit a lack of control, overly-compliant behavior, sexual behavior that is inappropriate for the child’s age, a change in eating habits or in mood or personality, such as increased aggression, a decrease in confidence or self-image, excessive worry or fearfulness, a decrease in interest in school activities or friends, as well as self-harming behaviors.  They may spend an unusual amount of time alone, have an increase in unexplained health problems such as stomach aches and headaches, have nightmares or fear of being alone at night and will try to avoid removing clothes to change or bathe. 

If you observe these warning signs in any of the children in your care or circle of influence, and believe that it could be a result of sexual abuse, you should report it immediately. You can reach out to local law enforcement as well as call the national child sexual abuse hotline at 866.FOR.LIGHT (866.367.5444) for advice on next steps and local resources.

It’s important to remember that predators can be ANYONE. This includes family members, friends, members of faith communities, coaches, teachers and anyone else with access to a child. Because predators often tell victims to keep abuse a secret, “or else,” you should encourage your kids to understand that they should never keep a secret from you. Remind them that they will never be in trouble for telling you anything. 

Teach your children the difference between a secret and a surprise by explaining that a safe adult will never ask a child to keep an unsafe secret. But a surprise is something happy or exciting that everyone will find out about eventually.

Discussing this topic isn’t a one-and-done task. It is important to continually initiate age-appropriate conversations about risk factors, body safety, online dangers and what to do if they or a peer feel unsafe. To help them understand body safety, you will want to use anatomically correct language when teaching children about their off-limit areas. This is important because predators are most likely to use pet names for those areas. An easy way to teach younger children about what areas are not safe for others to touch is to use the term “bathing suit zone.” This helps them understand the areas covered by our bathing suits are off limits to others.  


Elizabeth Melendez Fisher Good
Elizabeth Melendez Fisher Goodhttps://www.thefoundationunited.com/
is the co-founder and CEO of The Foundation United, a catalytic platform to end sexual exploitation and trafficking through systemic change. Fisher Good is a passionate pioneer and inspirational thought leader with a desire to expose the root issue behind sex trafficking -- childhood sexual abuse. Her book “Groomed” (HarperCollins, 2020) recounts her own story of loss, abuse and triumph. Fisher Good dedicates her life to helping women from all backgrounds discover how to live free from past traumas, strongholds, and lies they may have been groomed to believe about themselves. Statistics and resources quoted above can be accessed at https://www.thefoundationunited.com/statsandresources.

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