The hope is that if children learn early on what is and isn't appropriate, they will be more comfortable speaking up when they are mistreated. And the majority of chil dren who are molested are kids who live in risky envi ronments, not kids who are abused in chance encounters with perverts. Salisbury said, noting that most children do not reveal sexual abuse until long after the 72-hour window in which physical evidence can be detected. Parents should be 0 cau tious about with whom they leave their children alone. A boyfriend, stepparent or someone else who is placed in a parenting role but who does not have an emotional bond with a child can be a risk because they don't have a protective instinct, Salisbury said.
Childcare situations are a common scenario for sexual abuse.
Older children are typical ly daycare offenders, and licensed providers are usual ly a safer bet because they are more closely monitored. That goes for babysitters, too. The pediatricians advise knowing a sitter and his or her background before hiring one. And they suggest calling on trusted family members to look after children instead. She said some cultures with high poverty rates don't report much sexual abuse because close-knit extended families care for children.