Adults who take care of children must understand that prevention of child sexual abuse is an on-going activity – it does not end with taking care of one specific issue or another. One needs to have the mindset of keeping an eye open for red flags at all times.
It is not like inoculation or vaccination to prevent a medical illness – you take a shot and you are protected for a number of years. Unfortunately, prevention of child sexual abuse does not work that way. It is an on-going activity until the children are able to take care of themselves, which may not happen until they are adults.
Children come in contact with many adults during their developing years. One of the most important things a caregiver can do is to try and maintain a good communication pattern with the children. The more they talk, the greater is the possibility that they will talk about something that could be a red flag. And if a red flag is detected, then it is critical to follow through to make sure there are no risks to the children. Even if it seems to the caregiver that the children might be making things up, it is best to follow through and make sure. When it comes to prevention of child sexual abuse, we simply cannot leave any stones unturned.