Reduce the Risk of Child Sexual Abuse

Our Approach to Reduce the Risk of Child Sexual Abuse

Statistically, 1 in 5 children will be sexually abused by the time they turn 18. Children who are sexually abused often have long-lasting effects associated with the trauma, including difficulty in school, challenges with sleep and/or eating, and increased likelihood of substance abuse, all things that no child should ever have to endure.

As a parent, you want the best for your child. That’s why you’re here, looking for best practices to protect your child from becoming a victim of sexual abuse. Luckily, there are many things you can do to create a safe environment for your children. At Saprea, we understand that this can feel overwhelming and complex, especially if you or someone you love was abused as a child. That’s why we’ve read through the research to find the best ways that you, a loving, concerned parent, can reduce the risk of child sexual abuse.

Our approach to reducing the risk of sexual abuse is comprehensive: we believe that proactive parents teach their children age-appropriate information about sexuality and nurture their child’s capability and self-esteem. Each section of our resource library focuses on one of these areas and gives you tips, tools, or information that can help you take little actions every day that will yield big benefits for you and your child.

Table of Contents

A strong parent-child relationship is critical in reducing the risk of child sexual abuse.

This section of our website is all about you; there are things you can know, do, or be that can provide a good example for your child, help strengthen your relationship with them, and identify potential risk factors.

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Children who feel safe, loved, and confident in their abilities to learn and navigate challenges and have trusted adults to whom they can turn to when they need help are less likely to be sexually abused.

This section of our website is all about your child and highlights the behaviors and attitudes you want to encourage in them. In addition to the great things you are already doing, we have suggestions for increasing your child’s autonomy, capability, and resilience so your child has a happy, healthy childhood (which, we believe, is the starting point for a happy, healthy adulthood).

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Parents who understand correct information about stages of healthy sexual development are better prepared to teach their children essential information about sexuality.

And children who have consistent conversations with their parents about their bodies, sex, relationships, and intimacy are better prepared for positive sexual experiences as they mature and are less likely to be abused, experience abuse that will go unreported, or to abuse someone else. This section of our website helps you tackle the big talks, little talks, and everything in between.

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