Quote:
Originally Posted by Subdued
I don't think it's enough to make our children & others aware of the steps they should follow should they need to... I think it's vital to the safety of our children that we are ALL very comfortable discussing these issues OPENLY with nearly anybody. Stats are: 1 in 4 girls & 1 in 6 boys. What we are currently doing to stop abuse apparently isn't working. So what, then, WILL work? IMHO, TALKING frequently, openly, and comfortably about it... I'd go so far as to say that we need to discuss it as if it were the weather. I don't mean to say that we should not take it seriously; but we should be just that open, IMO.
We've all, as parents, told our children about these issues; what to do, the dangers, etc. And we all seem to think we know the "signs." However, our kids are STILL being abused. Why? We're doing something wrong.
Unfortunately, this is life. Many children are being sexually abused, molested, raped, etc. It's happening! Right now - it's happening. We have to do more.
When I take these issues to the Lord, my prayer is that I can be a mom who makes it clear to my children that they can say all of the words necessary to tell me if anything happens to them. I also pray that I can be an adult that ANY child would feel comfortable coming to, if need be. I don't think I can be that person unless I'm heard talking about the issues in a relaxed & comfortable manner. (Yes, I agree that the setting should be appropriate.)
I guess I'm rambling; but this is an important topic.
|
This brings to mind a something my brother told me the other day, it is humorous but it highlights what you are saying here.
His 8 year old daughter (my only, and most favorite niece) came to him recently crying, and said she felt really bad. She said that she had said two bad words that day and felt really bad. (in actuality, you would probably chuckle if I told you what the words are).
My brother just told her that we make mistakes sometimes and asked her if she wanted to pray with him. (she said she was embarrased to tell God, lol!)
My correlation is that if my brother hadn't already set the stage by having open dialog with his kids and making them completely comfortable sharing their deepest secrets, my niece probably wouldn't have admitted that to him.