kids in the park

Tips for Parents

  • Supervise your children, as appropriate to their developmental stage. This includes when they are home, on the internet, and in public.
     
  • Establish consistency in your family’s structure and routine. Be sure your children know your rules, understand the boundaries established in your family. Have family customs and rituals they can count on (e.g., family game night or special holiday traditions).
     
  • Nurture strong, supportive relationships with your children. These relationships need to include open communication and appreciation for what makes them special and unique.
     
  • Nurture strong supportive relationships for yourself—this may include a spouse, siblings, parents, friends and co-workers. Raising strong kids is hard work. Find ways to take care of yourself.
     
  • Support your children's efforts to make and spend time with friends. Get to know their friends and their families.
     
  • Stay engaged with your children’s activities and relationships with other adults. Attend their games and events and observe their interactions with coaches, teachers, etc.
     
  • Notice and respond to any changes in behavior that could indicate your child is in distress.
     
  • Educate yourself about sexual abuse. 
     
  • Speak up if someone acts inappropriately with your child (or anyone else’s)
     
  • Carefully and actively monitor your child’s use of the media—television, movies, music, video games, and internet. High levels of exposure to sexually explicit material is a risk factor. Use parental safeguards to block access to inappropriate content on TV and the internet. Check music, movies and video games for appropriateness. Know you child’s e-mail addresses and log-in information and let them know you will be regularly checking on their use social networking websites. Then regularly check.