Babysitter Safety - What Parents and Sitters Need to Know
A comprehensive list of topics to cover with a babysitter before leaving your child with one.
The Department of Justice reports that approximately 93% of perpetrators of sexual abuse are known to the child and the family.
Department of Justice
While educating children about appropriate boundaries and safe touches is the first line of defense against dangerous situations, knowing the warning signs of a potential abuser is a crucial part of protecting your child from sexual abuse.
Adults
When an adult befriends a child with the intention of building an emotional connection that will lower the child’s inhibitions and use of safe boundaries it is considered grooming behavior. This behavior includes gaining the trust of parents and other adults involved in the child’s life in order to gain access to the child. Being aware of the warning signs can help you keep your child safe.
Warning signs that an adult might abuse a child include:
Other Children
Often there is a misconception that the sexual abuse of a child is solely by adults, but sexual abuse can happen between children as well. According to Stop It Now, over a third of sexual abuse is committed by children who are under 18. Children who sexually abuse other children may be victims of sexual abuse themselves.
Warning signs that a child might abuse another child include:
For a deeper look into sexual abuse between children, Stop It Now offers a guidebook that you can find here.
Source: TheMamaBearEffect.org
This article takes a comprehensive look at potential abusers including strangers and acquaintances; friends, family and people of authority; females abusers; and juvenile offenders.
Behaviors to Watch Out for When Adults are With Children
Source: StopItNow.org
Source: SafelyEverAfter.com
A comprehensive list of topics to cover with a babysitter before leaving your child with one.
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