Sexual Abuse or Incest Prevention Checklist for Parents and Childcare Workers.

Feel free to print out this list for your own use.

Printable Version

___l. Accept the new definition of sexual abuse or incest.

___2. Accept the reality perpetrators can be persons you least expect.

___3. Respect the child.s sacred physical boundaries.

___4. Teach and reinforce the child's right to protest uncomfortable or unacceptable touch.

___5. Respect the child's perception of uncomfortable or unacceptable touch.

___6. Respect the child's likes and dislikes.

___7. Avoid using 'spanking or hitting' as discipline.

___8. Reinforce the child's right to protest uncomfortable or unwanted touch while doing necessary tasks such as verbally soothing the child and changing the touch.

___9. Accept and practice the guidelines for 'good, appropriate' touch.

___10. Intercede when others violate your child's physical boundaries or disregard likes or dislikes.

___11. Teach good body image. "Your body is private, special, beautiful and perfect.'

___12. Teach and practice the TELL MOMMY OR DADDY EVERYTHING--NO SECRETS RULE.

___13. Practice appropriate suspicion-check on others. interactions with your child; trust your intuition; heed changes in your child's behavior; investigate behavioral changes and do not stop until you have a resolution.

___14. If in doubt or you have the slightest suspicion your child might be a victim of sexual abuse, seek help from a professional specializing in sexual abuse recovery and Child Protective Services.

___15. Ask questions, which require 'YES or NO' answers until you are confident you understand what your child is telling you.

___16. Trust your child's perceptions. Children are naturally intuitive and often sense an adult's ulterior motives, although you may not suspect anything.

___17. Trust and act on your intuitiveness or sixth sense.

___18. If you err in evaluating the situation, make the error on the side of your child. The important factor is not that you have avoided offending potential abusers, but that you have protected your child's interest.