Sex Offender StudyOffenders are family members or people you trust (the last person you would suspect)
Children should tell if anyone tries to trick them, makes strange suggestions, talks about sexual things or seems to touch or brush up against them accidentally. Parents Need To:- Know that offenders will use any way they can to get to children. A disabled offender spent months "grooming" the parents. The parents would tell the child to go out and help the disabled offender. No one thought the disabled person could be an abuser.
- Teach children that they should never keep secrets or feel that they are to blame if they are abused - secrecy and blame are abusers best weapons. Parents should emphasize openness and a "no secrets" attitude thoughout their children's upbringing. - Teach children about sex, different parts of the body and right / wrong touch. Offenders could take advantage and teach the child themselves - Have family discussions about preventing abuse - parents should not be embarrassed to talk about things like this - its harder to abuse or trick a child who knows what an offender is up to. - Realize that single parent families are a good target for abusers (the mothers are stressed, overworked and are grateful for someone taking one of the children out for a while) - Believe children if they say abuse is happening. Children need to feel confident that someone will do something before they will tell. - Know that children are at risk in places that attract children, including shopping centers, amusement / theme parks, arcades, discos, parks, school grounds and public restrooms. |
Articles
|
General Comments About Offender Studies
- Question children being offered gifts.
- Offenders often have sexual materials lying around their house, talk in a sexual manner or show sex videos.
- All parents must be alert to men who attach themselves to their families and who offer to take thier children off with them or teach the children games or sports, or offer to babysit. Again, single parents may be more vulnerable to this approach.
- The dilemma for parents are that there are well intentioned individuals who may become friends of the family and who become a positive and significant factor in their children's lives. If children are taught to "tell" at the first warning signs and parents are aware of the possible dangers, these positive innocent men should be allowed to provide a good role model for the children.
- Parents need to ensure that their children feel they can "tell" if anything happens. 61% of the abusers were worried about children disclosing.
- Telling may, at the very least, stop the abuse for the child and remove the abuser so he cannot offend.
- Children are most vulnerable to sexual abuse when they have family problems, are alone, lack confidence, and are indiscriminate in their trust of others.
- Since low self-confidence is an attraction to abusers, one of the most important things we can encourage in our children is self-confidence and assertiveness. Raising children with a belief in their own self-worth, nuturing them and giving them a sense of being valued and loved, is one of the best ways of protecting them
Taken from: "Child Sexual Abuse Prevention: What Offenders Tell Us", Kidscape Charity for Children's Safety, London, England, Michele Elliott. School of Medicine, University of Birmingham, Birmingham England. Kevin Browne and Jennifer Kilcoyne
- Offenders often have sexual materials lying around their house, talk in a sexual manner or show sex videos.
- All parents must be alert to men who attach themselves to their families and who offer to take thier children off with them or teach the children games or sports, or offer to babysit. Again, single parents may be more vulnerable to this approach.
- The dilemma for parents are that there are well intentioned individuals who may become friends of the family and who become a positive and significant factor in their children's lives. If children are taught to "tell" at the first warning signs and parents are aware of the possible dangers, these positive innocent men should be allowed to provide a good role model for the children.
- Parents need to ensure that their children feel they can "tell" if anything happens. 61% of the abusers were worried about children disclosing.
- Telling may, at the very least, stop the abuse for the child and remove the abuser so he cannot offend.
- Children are most vulnerable to sexual abuse when they have family problems, are alone, lack confidence, and are indiscriminate in their trust of others.
- Since low self-confidence is an attraction to abusers, one of the most important things we can encourage in our children is self-confidence and assertiveness. Raising children with a belief in their own self-worth, nuturing them and giving them a sense of being valued and loved, is one of the best ways of protecting them
Taken from: "Child Sexual Abuse Prevention: What Offenders Tell Us", Kidscape Charity for Children's Safety, London, England, Michele Elliott. School of Medicine, University of Birmingham, Birmingham England. Kevin Browne and Jennifer Kilcoyne