How to Help Prevent Your Child from Being Sexually Abused

As the victim of sexual abuse I can understand the concerns of todays society concerning sex offenders. You never know who you can trust. A sexual predator could be anyone. Even a family member you have known your whole life. It could be someone that you would never expect. It could be a school teacher, a counselor, or even a priest. In my case it was a next door neighbor whom my family trusted. It was someone they let babysit us and spend the night with. It wasn't easy getting over this as a child and something no other child should have to go through. So how do you help prevent this from happening?

You can start by looking up sex offenders. Search by your city and find out if there could be anyone living next to you. You can look up sex offenders in Oklahoma by accessing the department of corrections home website. Although sex offenders are required to register when they move they sometimes fail to do so. A sex offender in Oklahoma who is a habitual or aggravated offender is required to register every ninety days and for the rest of their life. All other sex offenders are required to register during their probation and for ten years after. If you know of someone who has been convicted and they have not registered contact your local police department. A sex offender is required to be at least two thousand feet from a school, daycare facility, or playground.

Since we cant be around our kids at all times its hard to keep a constant watch. Its advisable not to let your children spend the night with anyone that you don't know or trust. If your suspicious about someone don't let your child be alone with him or her unless supervised. Its best too not let even a school teacher be alone with your child. Watch out for any odd behavior from anyone that your child interacts with. Tell your child not to talk to strangers. Let them no that it is never OK to go off with someone that they don't know.

Sadly in some cases children are abused. There are signs to watch out for if you feel this has happened to your child. Symptoms include being withdrawn, an increase in bed wetting, changes in eating or sleeping, hostility, difficulty in sitting or walking, stained or bloody underwear, and redness or bruising of the genital area. Watch for other signs such as the child acting out around a friend or family member. If your child has told you about being sexually abused try to calm him or her down. Never yell at the child or accuse him of lying. Let them know that you understand and that it wasn't their fault. Never hesitate to contact the proper authorities.