In light of the national story about the Duggar family, Our Kids wants to offer a tool that assists parents in talking to their children about sexual abuse.
National statistics reveal that 1 in 10 children will experience some form of child sexual abuse before the age of 18. Our Kids provides expert medical evaluations and crisis counseling for children and families affected by child sexual abuse, and with a patient volume of more than 850 each year, Our Kids is one of the largest clinics of its kind in the country.
In response to questions from parents and caregivers, Our Kids has developed a tool to help when you’re struggling with what to say to a child who has disclosed abuse:
[Download a PDF of this chart here.]
Parents and other caregivers can also boost their child protection behaviors by becoming informed about the issue of child sexual abuse. Fostering open discussions with your child as well as understanding how to respond if something has happened maximizes the likelihood that your child will come to you for help.
Our Kids is one of seven founding agencies of The Nashville Child Protection Coalition which endorses the Stewards of Children training. Adults need to take the responsibility to protect children and become educated about child sexual abuse, and learning is the first step.