Red Flag Videos – 15 Seconds to Learn How to Stop Child Sexual Abuse

Red Flag Child Sexual Abuse Older Teen

Learn how to protect your children. Really talk to your child about sexual abuse.

Child sexual abuse is a public health problem with far reaching implications. An estimated 39 million people are survivors of childhood sexual abuse in the US today. One in 10 children will be victimized before reaching their 18th birthday. And more than 30% of those victims will never tell anyone about their abuse, contributing to life long relationship, health and adjustment problems. (cited from www.d2l.org) But we are not without hope. Child sexual abuse is entirely preventable. Know the Red Flags when a perpetrator is grooming a child for sexual abuse.

Red Flag Child Sexual Abuse Basketball Coach

Learn how to protect your children. Really talk to your child about personal boundaries.

Parents and other adults continue to warn children about stranger danger, but the difficult truth is that abuse is more likely to involve someone close to the family.  In fact, in over 90% of the cases, the perpetrator is someone that the child and the family knows or trusts.  As a society, we find comfort and reassurance in offender websites, but too often fail to educate children on the possibility that they could be harmed by a trusted family member or friend.  Parents themselves turn a blind eye, don’t recognize the tell tale signs, and fail to protect children from dangerous situations because they simply can’t believe that someone they know is capable of such atrocities.

Red Flag Child Sexual Abuse the Trusted Neighbor

Lean how to protect your child. Talk to your child about sexual abuse. Teach your child the appropriate terms for body parts.

The Red Flag project portrays a series of typical grooming activities, and demonstrates how seemingly kind gestures can actually be a precursor to abuse.  Certainly not all kind gestures represent abuse, but these Red Flag scenarios open up a dialog that otherwise does not occur.  Our goal is to raise awareness and understanding, invite conversation, and ensure that parents are following up on suspicious behaviors.

Sexual abuse thrives in our discomfort in naming it – and this culture of silence gives power to the perpetrators.  

Red Flag Child Sexual Abuse the Coach

Learn how to protect children. What one on one adult-child situations is your child put in? Talk to your child about sexual abuse.

Physical Indicators of Sexual Abuse

  • Difficulty in walking or sitting
  • Torn, stained or bloody underclothing
  • Pain or itching in the genital area
  • Bruises or bleeding in external genitals, vaginal or anal areas
  • Frequent urinary or yeast infections
  • Frequent unexplained sore throat
  • Encopresis (involuntary soiling)
  • Enuresis (inability to control urination)

Behavioral Indicators of Sexual Abuse

  • Unwilling to participate in certain physical activities
  • Sudden drop in school performance
  • Crying with no provocation
  • Bizarre, sophisticated or unusual sexual behavior or knowledge
  • Anorexia
  • Sexually provocative
  • Poor peer relationships
  • Reports sexual abuse by caretaker
  • Fear of or seductiveness toward males
  • Suicide attempts
  • Chronic runaway
  • Early pregnancies

Many thanks to your sponsors and partners:  HealthPath  Foundation of Ohio, Scripps Howard Foundation, Aetna, Ensemble Theatre of Cincinnati, WCPO, and the R.C. Durr YMCA.

Learn how to protect children.  Attend a Stewards of Children training (adults only)

Stewards of Children is a revolutionary prevention program designed to teach adults to prevent, recognize and react responsibly to child sexual abuse.  Education provided directly to adults is essential in order to increase parents’ knowledge so that they will be better able to discuss child sexual abuse with their children, detect those children who have become victims, and improve their reaction to children’s disclosures of abuse. Parent-focused child sexual abuse preventive programs have been shown to increase parental knowledge about child sexual abuse, as well as increase the likelihood that parents will discuss child sexual abuse with their children.

Trainings can take place in small groups and take only 2 hours of your time.  Get all the details HERE to attend a free training today.

Report your suspicions of sexual abuse.

Reporting requirements different from state to state.  But in most states, the law doesn’t require you to be sure, it states that you must report if you have reason to suspect abuse or neglect.  Your job is to help protect children by reporting any suspicions you have to the proper authorities. Reports can be made anonymously.

In Kentucky, all adults are required by law to report their suspicions of abuse or neglect. The Cabinet for Families and Children is charged with investigating your report.  In Ohio, certain professions are mandatory reporters and must report all suspicions of abuse and neglect. The Department of Job and Family Services is responsible for investigating reports of abuse and neglect.

To report suspected child abuse or neglect:  Call 911 for Immediate danger.

Kentucky: 859-292-6550  (Centralized Intake—weekdays)

1-877-KY SAFE1  (Statewide Hotline—nights/weekends)

KY Report Abuse Web Site

Ohio:   241-KIDS

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