In my second book about prevention of child sexual abuse I try to emphasize that one needs to remain vigilant and try to avoid possibly risky situations before something can happen. Because, if one waits until something happens, then it’s already too late.
It is a difficult situation, but unfortunately ‘prevention” means doing something “before” it happens, rather than after. Physical illnesses, for example, can be prevented by appropriate inoculation or other medical preventive measures. But prevention from child sexual abuse requires protecting children from possible harmful situations.
This is certainly not an easy task. It is well known that in many child sexual abuse incidents the abuser is often a close family member or a close family friend. It would likely be difficult to know beforehand if the child is in any danger of abuse. That’s why it is so important to remain vigilant at all times and act on any suspicious behaviors or actions.