Build Confidence

Children who believe in their ability to navigate tricky situations and either succeed or learn from them have higher levels of resilience; in other words, when they encounter a challenge or disappointment, they can bounce back and move forward. This isn’t to say that they don’t feel the disappointment or weight of the challenge, but they feel confident that they’ll be able to learn from them and do better in the future.

What does this have to do with reducing the risk of sexual abuse? A lot.

Confidence may be the antidote to isolation, withdrawal, and shame. More importantly, confidence fills a child with a sense of identity, belonging, and worth. A child who knows that they are valued, loved, and safe is less likely to be vulnerable to grooming behaviors, and may be more likely to speak up (or seek help) if they feel they are being mistreated.

Most parents we know would love to magically fill their children with confidence. And it seems that the older children get, the harder it is to keep that confidence and self-assurance. While we don’t have any magic confidence serum to offer, we do have some great resources to help you nurture your child’s self-confidence.