April is National Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month. The statistics are heartbreaking: One in 4 girls will be sexually abused before her eighteenth birthday. For boys, the number is 1 in 6.
Sexual abuse isn’t an easy conversation, but the information we have to share with parents on our broadcast “Protecting Your Child from Sexual Abuse” can help your children avoid becoming part of the disturbing statistics.
An overwhelming percentage of abuse – close to 90 percent – comes from someone the child knows and trusts, like a family friend or someone from within the family itself. Strangers account for a small percentage of sexual abuse.
Our radio broadcast will teach you how to talk to your children in an age-appropriate way about the wonders of the human body and to keep the lines of communication open as they age. You’ll also learn how to empower your children to have safe boundaries with others.
Our guests Justin and Lindsey Holcomb have written a great resource called God Made All of Me, a book that’s easy for parents to use because it’s designed to read with your child.
Justin is a minister and a professor of theology at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. Lindsey is a first-grade teacher and counsels victims of sexual assault and domestic violence. Together, they’ve started REST, which stands for Real Escape from the Sex Trade, an organization devoted to rescuing sex trafficking victims.
Join us on your local radio station and learn how you can navigate the topic of abuse with your child. This program isn’t graphic, but it’s probably not suitable for younger children, so please use your discretion and occupy your kids elsewhere, or listen later online or on our free phone app.
If today’s conversation raises concerns for you about your children and sexual abuse, and you need someone to talk to, I encourage you to call one of our licensed counselors. They’re available to speak with you at 1-800-A-FAMILY (232-6459).
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