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How Parents/Caregivers/Guardians Can Reduce Risk? From the Canadian Centre for Child Protection

1. Educate Yourself: Learn about child sexual abuse and recognize behaviors and situations that pose risks to children and youth. Download our free resources, and to gain more insights.
2. Stay Alert: Pay attention to interactions between children and adults. If you feel uncomfortable with how an adult is interacting with a child, intervene. Learn more about reporting incidents on the page.
3. Teach Personal Safety: Educate your child about personal safety. Visit for age-appropriate resources.
4. Stay Involved: Be actively involved in your child's life. Attend their activities and observe interactions between adults and children. Know who they are forming relationships with.
5. Review Policies: Screen and review child protection policies at the organizations and activities your child participates in. For tips on screening organizations, download .
6. Monitor Changes: Pay attention to changes in your child's behavior patterns. While kids may have off days, significant changes could indicate distress. Children often communicate through behavior more than words.

Talking to Your Child About Personal Safety from the Canadian Centre for Child Protection:

• Ensure that the information you share with your child is age-appropriate.
• For young children, focus on personal safety rather than explicit details about child sexual abuse.
• Teach your child the proper names for body parts and emphasize which areas are private and shouldn't be touched or seen by others.
• Explain the difference between secrets that are okay to keep (like a surprise party) and secrets that should be shared with a safe adult (such as secrets about inappropriate touching or picture taking).
• Help your child develop assertiveness skills, teaching them that it's okay to say "no" to anything or anyone that makes them feel confused or uncomfortable.
• Help your child identify safe adults in their life whom they can trust and turn to for help.
• Emphasize the importance of privacy, especially when changing, bathing, or using the bathroom.
• Teach your child how to identify and label their feelings, helping them understand their emotions better.
• Research indicates that offenders are less likely to target children who are empowered to speak up. Empower your child with knowledge about personal safety and boundaries to reduce their risk of victimization.

For more age-appropriate topics to discuss with your child:

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