Protecting Your Children Against Sexual Assault

In 2003, The Colorado Coalition Against Sexual Assault and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment compiled the following information for parents:

Identify private parts of the body to children and tell them it is not acceptable for another person to touch their private parts inappropriately.

Encourage the child to tell if someone touches them inappropriately or makes them feel uncomfortable, scared or threatened in any way. Tell the child to keep on telling until someone does something about it. Emphasize the importance of telling an adult. Reasons to tell are to get help for the child and to protect other children so that the abuser doesn't hurt anyone else.

Tell children not to keep secrets about touching or secrets that make them feel bad-no matter what the other person says.

Tell children not to go with anyone or to get into a vehicle with someone they don't know, even if the stranger is nice; has something the child wants; or if the stranger says he or she needs help. Let the child know that strangers should not be asking children for help.

Teach children easy-to-remember phrases, such as "If you don't know, don't go."

While in a public place, if a stranger tries to entice a child to go with him or her, teach the child to scream, to run away and to run back to the adult they are with and tell the adult what happened.

If the child is alone and approached, he or she should run to his or her home, a neighbor's house, or a nearby store or gas station where there are other people around to tell what happened.

Experts stress that although it is never the victim's fault, there are some personal safety tips to be aware of regarding the heinous crime of sexual assault.