Teach Self-Protection
According to Lawrence Steinberg PhD in You and Your Adolescent, girls are much more likely than boys to be sexually assaulted. You probably taught your daughter to be careful of strangers when she was little; now that she is older, you need to teach that lesson again. Adolescent girls should be taught the following.
According to Dr. Steinberg, “Girls also need to be assertive in rejecting unwelcome advances and sexual teasing, even — indeed, especially — from someone they know.” Amazingly, 70–80% of sexual assaults on young people are committed by someone they know and even love. Boys are not as likely to become victims, but they are not exempt. Most parents, however, find it impossible to believe that it could happen to their child. But, as Dr. Steinberg says, “These parents are wrong. It can.”
You don’t want to think that anyone you know would assault your child. In order to protect your child, you must admit to yourself that it can happen. Next, you must teach your child to protect herself, hopefully without making her unnecessarily afraid. When your child is small, teach her the difference between “good” and “bad” touching. Tell her to say something if anyone violates her privacy. When she becomes an adolescent, remind her that she has the right to decide who can touch her. If she feels uncomfortable with someone for any reason, she should tell you. Let her know that you will always support her, no matter what.
How to Help a Young Victim