Talk to your children on a regular basis. Try not to leave children in the care of other children or adults unless you are very sure that they will be safe. If a child is uncomfortable in a situation, we need to trust his or her intuition, and even though we may be inconvenienced by a decision to change a care giver or a baby sitter, it might be the best decision to make in the long run. Years ago we had stronger extended families and more tightly knit neighborhoods. It was not a problem finding safe places for our children.
Safety is something that extends beyond baby-sitting and social organizations.
Abuse can also happen at the hands of older children or children who have been abused themselves. Monitoring children's play inside and outside the home is very important to break the circle of abuse. I have spoken to our guidance counselor about expanding our fifth and sixth grade sexuality classes to include information on feeling safe and how to deal with those feelings. Our children are our most precious resource, and hopefully, if we all work together, we can keep them safe and away from hidden danger.