SOME SECRETS SHOULD NEVER BE KEPT a guide in teaching sexual abuse prevention to kids

in my practice I get countless questions on how to talk to children about sexual abuse prevention and body safety. I am most happy to oblige. This is, after all, one of the critical conversations we need to have with our children. But unfortunately, as a society, we tend to address sexual abuse reactively. We only talk about it after the fact. That is a terrible time to learn about something for the first time.

it can feel overwhelming when thinking about the subject and how to introduce it to our children. It is such an important topic, but so loaded – because of the content, because of the potential for concern from parents, for cultural reasons, and perhaps because the issue of sexual abuse may hit too close to home. But despite this, children must be equipped with the skills they need to respond to and report abuse. Otherwise they simply will not know what to do. Talking about child sexual abuse with our children may seem difficult, but the possible consequences of not talking to our children are even worse.

welcome to SOME SECRETS SHOULD NEVER BE KEPT. This is a course about safety. It will teach you how to prevent, recognise, and react responsibly to child sexual abuse. Its purpose is to give you simple, proactive steps that adults can use to protect children from sexual abuse. My goal is to give parents and educators a tool to get in front of the issues in a way that doesn’t feel scary, overwhelming, or overly clinical. When you get to the heart of it and set aside your own anxieties, you will find that it is no different than teaching about any other topic. Children are highly interested and want to know what to do. All (all???!!! 🙂 ) you have to do is create a safe space, explain things clearly, give them explicit permission to “tell” and allow them an opportunity to practice. You will do a great job!

– SOME SECRETS SHOULD NEVER BE KEPT a guide in teaching sexual abuse prevention to kids –

The course was developed by Dr. Joanita Olivier (PhD) – a practicing psychologist with 15 years experience in the field. She is a graduate from the University of Stellenbosch. She has a keen interest in positive psychology and therapy with adults, adolescents and children. Her PhD research focused on developing resilience in families. She is a wife and a mother to two young children. She knows firsthand the challenges that parents face.