Protecting Your Child from Predators by Beth Robinson, EdD, and Latayne C. Scott, PhD

How to Recognize and Respond to Sexual Danger.

"Love protects. It does not violate."

"Trust is the oil that greases the gears of abuse. Without trust, most abuse could never happen."  Isn't that not an oxymoron? We think trust is what we need, when in reality most abuse happens by people we know and trust. They know how to worm their way into our families, our hearts and our children's lives and then they take advantage.

This book was eye-opening, thought-provoking and downright scary. I've always been a bit terrified of one of my children being sexually abused and this book makes me want to never let my children out of sight. I am left grappling with how to take this information and make informed, conscious decisions while also not allowing it to cripple my life to the point that I am not allowing my children to grow and develop.

One of the things that is stressed in this book is creating in your child a warrior heart, a heart that is brave, noble, and prepared, a heart that knows what is right and wrong, a heart that confides in their parents and knows they have a safe listening ear there.

The book is divided into age groups and gives a list of things that each age group should know. That was very helpful. I think my four-year-old has a basic concept of the things she should know. We have had discussions about good touch/bad touch or as this book emphasizes, safe touch/unsafe touch. But I was made aware of how important an ongoing discussion is, of how important paying attention to your child's cues is for picking up on things that are not right.  I was also deeply saddened by the horror that children experience at the hands of supposedly trustworthy people. Church is listed as a very scary place, because perpetrators recognize the trust that goes on there and the ease of access to children.

But I was also encouraged by the author's assurance that with the right help and guidance, children can overcome the horrors of abuse and live a normal, healthy life. Children are resilient.

I enjoyed this book and it offers some very good, practical advice for keeping children safe. I would recommend it.

I received this book from Bethany House and was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.