While a parent may have the biggest influence on a child’s life when it comes to educating about healthy sexual development and reducing the risk of sexual abuse, many adults also play an impactful role—especially teachers. They have the potential to be an important safety net for kids who are at high risk for sexual […]
Creating an open dialogue with your child is one of the best ways to prevent them from being sexually abused. One of the most important parts of open conversation is listening. Listening can be difficult in any relationship, but it’s imperative that you really listen to your child. If they feel that you are genuinely […]
At Defend Innocence we are often asked, How can I help? What are the ways that I can give? As a nonprofit public charity, we rely on your generosity and kindness to help us continue to educate about child sexual abuse and how to prevent it. What you may not realize is there are a […]
Between November and January there are about a dozen holidays that you could celebrate, depending on your background or beliefs. These holidays provide opportunities for you to get together with friends and family and celebrate. You’ll want to keep your child’s safety as your top priority as you go to every party or event. It […]
There’s no absolute checklist that a parent can follow to determine if their child has been sexually abused since symptoms of sexual trauma can vary widely from person to person. However, there are some common signs of sexual abuse that can alert you of something that may have happened and you may need to further […]
“How could this happen?” This question plagues many parents who discover their child was sexually abused. Like a flashlight is used to discover truth in the dark, our brains use this question to search for answers to our pain. Because, our brain reasons, if you know who is responsible for causing what happened, then you […]
I wish I could say that I remember the time my parents had the “big talk” with me, but the truth is that we never actually had it. I was born in the U.S. but in a home where we only spoke Spanish, ate “sopa de res,” and watched Don Francisco every Saturday night, religiously. […]
It can be overwhelming to navigate through all the risks and dangers that we need to be aware of to keep our children safe. Below you’ll find a list of 11 risk increasers for child sexual abuse, along with tips on how to minimize them. This list is not intended to cause you alarm but […]
Imagine bringing your child home, swaddled up tightly with a little hat on their head, giving them a kiss on their forehead, and then vowing to never speak in front of them. After all, what if you said the wrong thing? Better to never say anything than to say the wrong thing. Would that benefit […]
