Introduction: Today we all know that a former Penn State football assistant coach abused young boys on campus, and that the school officials turned their backs and did the wrong thing. Sure, Coach Paterno and others reported it up the chain, but that’s where it stopped. The media today is full of new reports about the long standing abuses alleged to have been committed by Coach Sandusky. Your kids hear these reports just as you do. So the question on the minds of many parents is: what do I tell my kids?
The Conversation: Experts in child pschology suggest that you be open and up front with your children about this issue. Of course, how you approach the topic depends on the age of your children, but in general you should talk openly with your child about what is appropriate vs. inappropriate behavior towards children by an adult. If your child is old enough to know about sex, then have an open discussion about sexual contact between adults and children, stressing that it is never the right thing and always the fault of the adult attempting to initiate the contact. For a younger child, stress that any type of touching that makes the child uncomfortable is wrong.
No doubt you already tell your child not to talk to strangers. But reports indicate that most child sex abuse takes place between the child and someone he already knows, often a family friend or family member. So make it very, very clear to your child that no one should ever touch him in the genital or anal area, no matter who that person may be. Get the issue out in the open and have a frank discussion, stressing that the child is always the victim and never at fault when an adult behaves in this way. What should your child do in such a situation? First and foremost, get away from the adult attempting the behavior and then tell you what happened. What should you do? Call the police without any hesitation. Do the right thing, every time. *
*as published on Examiner.com