Tips for Keeping Your Kids Safe from Sex Offenders
Keeping your kids safe is a full-time job, especially when it comes to protecting your child from sex offenders. The toughest part about that is knowing who (and where) sex offenders are. Of course, keeping kids safe also means keeping lines of communication open. If your children trust you, protecting them can be far easier.
Let your kids know that they can talk to you, that they can ask you questions — about anything. Doing that will ensure that they won't search for other adult role models, any one of whom could be a sexual predator. When you do speak with your children, explain that keeping them safe means making sure they know the places where sex offenders can be found.
- On the Internet. Online is probably the toughest place to keep kids safe. Because the Internet keeps people anonymous, kids can have regular contact with sex offenders without ever knowing it. Make sure you review the websites your kids are using. Groups like the Association of Sites Advocating Child Protection (ASACP) can help you monitor your child's Internet usage.1 Others, like the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), serve as an overall public resource center, which can be particularly valuable if you suspect that a child has been communicating online with a sex offender.2 Check out a few tips about Internet safety for kids.
On playgrounds, in parks and school yards. Statistics show that, although sex offenders aren't easily identified, they do frequent public places where kids tend to gather. Although school yards usually include adult supervision, many public playgrounds and parks don't. If your kids are old enough to go to public places by themselves, remind them not to talk to strangers — and to find a police officer, a teacher, a park ranger or another authority figure immediately if they feel threatened by a stranger in any way.
Sex offenders are known for their ability to quickly establish trust with kids. Even when you accompany children, don't let them wander; sex offenders are known opportunists. Many sex offenders will wait for parents or guardians to socialize with other adults, and then they'll begin talking with kids.
If you think a sex offender has approached your child, contact local authorities. Additionally, organizations like the Rape Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN)3 exist so that people can help stop sex offenders before they strike.