A Caregiver’s Guide to Empowering Your Child and Safe Body Boundaries

Creating a safe environment for children starts with surrounding them with trusted caregivers and ensuring the spaces they’re in are secure. Just as important is fostering open, age-appropriate conversations about their bodies, personal boundaries, and what to do if something doesn’t feel right. Although prevention is key, being aware of common warning signs that something may be wrong can help caregivers respond quickly if concerns arise.

Safe Caregivers & Safe Situations

Most victims of sexual abuse were abused by someone they knew or in a place they were familiar with. You can take steps to surround children with safe caregivers in safe environments:

  • Abusers often become friendly with potential victims and their families, earning trust and gaining time alone with children. Observe your child with others, and listen to your gut. If you feel uncomfortable with the way an adult is interacting with your child, step in.

  • Ask your babysitter for background checks, including criminal and child abuse/neglect checks.

  • Check that all your child’s programs/activities require background checks, personal interviews, and professional recommendations for all adults, including volunteers, who work with children.

  • Monitor children’s internet and smartphone use. Offenders have been known to use the internet to lure children into physical contact.

Talking to your child about their bodies, body safety, and personal boundaries is key in keeping them safe. Child safety is an adult responsibility.

  • Use the correct names for body parts, including their genitals, as they are learning to identify them (starting as early as possible)

  • Make sure your child knows the difference between “okay” and “not okay” touches. No one should ask to see or touch the private parts of their body, except a medical provider or a caregiver who is helping them clean or use the restroom. No one should show them pictures of private parts. Teach them if those things occur, tell a trusted adult. Teach children that once they can bathe and use the restroom on their own, they should not accept help from adults or older children

  • Teach children that it’s okay for them to say “no” if they don’t want to hug or kiss someone, including family, and always respect their decision. Listen to children’s “no’s” when roughhousing or tickling and stop when they ask.

  • Educate children about the difference between good secrets and bad secrets. A surprise party is a good secret because it isn’t kept for long. A secret that they are told to keep forever is not okay.

Educate and Empower Your Child

Make a Safety SPLASH

Teaching kids the SPLASH acronym can be an easy way to talk with your child about body safety.

Swimsuits cover private parts, which we call by their correct names.

S

Private parts are only to be touched or seen by trusted grown ups helping to keep your body clean and healthy with your permission.

P

Listen to lessons from trusted grown-ups about your safety.

L

Always tell a trusted grown-up if someone asks to see or shows you private parts.

A

Secrets and surprises are different! No one should ask you to keep a secret forever.

S

Hugs and kisses are your choice; remember that your body belongs to you and you can say “No!”

H

Possible Warning Signs

While not always present, warning signs may include:

  • Strong efforts to avoid, or to be with, a specific person without an obvious reason

  • Sudden changes in behavior, such as becoming more withdrawn, or being more aggressive towards family, friends, pets, or toys

  • Displaying knowledge or interest in sexual acts that are inappropriate for their age

  • Unexplained episodes of anger, rage, or moodiness

  • Pain when toileting, trouble walking or sitting, or pain, itching, bleeding, or bruises in or around the genitals

  • Sleep disturbances, such as nightmares or bedwetting

  • Difficulty concentrating or saying on task, irritability, lacking motivation, and showing little to no emotion

This material was adapted from the Face It® Movement started in the state of Kentucky. ​Click HERE to learn more about the Face It® movement and become the face that ends child abuse & neglect.