Keeping Them Safe

Send us Fan Mail In 1993 the U.S. Study on Child Abuse and Neglect set out a mandate for prevention that focused on safer environments for children to grow up in. We are looking at what is happening with that mandate and how the existing paradigm for prevention efforts has thwarted the fulfillment of that mandate. We also look at how becoming and Alert Adult gives you a chance to forward that mand...

Send us Fan Mail Context is defined as "the circumstances that form the setting for an event, statement, or idea, and in terms of which it can be fully understood and assessed". In the world of child sexual abuse prevention, the context was determined almost 50 years ago and new efforts to bring forth a new context meet with significant roadblocks. This episode talks about the difference...

Send us Fan Mail Children hear what we say. They translate it literally. This episode reminds us that it is important for us to think before we react to incidents, situations, news stories, gossip or even what our children say. We talk about things we might do to ensure that our comments and responses reinforce the message to our children that we are there for them and they can tell us anything. 

Send us Fan Mail Regardless of how vigilant we are, there will be times when predators oursmart us and our children pay the price. In addition, our commitment to being Alert Adults can open the door to another adult who is finally willing to share earlier abuse that has not been disclosed. When that happens, how do we handle it? How do we do the right thing and protect those invoved from further h...

Send us Fan Mail A discussion of what we recently learned about the "old ways" of prevention education and their failure over the long term in protecting children from predators. We look at how the approach by Keeping Them Safe actually has the potential to make a real impact with minimal effort. 

Send us Fan Mail This episode discusses how we can emphasize the need for prevention during Child Abuse Prevention Month - April - as we sponsor Blue Monday, Blue Sunday, and other programs that call attention to the problem. 

Send us Fan Mail We know there are several potentially risky adult behaviors that create vulnerability in the environment and put children at risk from potential predators. However, are some more "important" than others? Do some of those behaviors actually raise the bar on the risk? Canadian researchers actually look at that question and have some recommendations for us about where it is...

Send us Fan Mail Recently a day care worker in Tallahassee, Florida, took action to protect children in her care when she noticed a man in a parked van taking photos of the children outside. In response, she took the children inside and locked the gate. The response from her management and the parents was not supportive of her actions. How do we, as Alert Adults, take the actions necessary to prot...

Send us Fan Mail Sometimes it is important to stop and listen to the story of someone who was groomed and molested in front of a whole crowd of people who thought they were doing something good for him - because they could not see the risk. Being an Alert Adult takes something. We have to focus, practice, and have the courage to take action. Joseph's story of what happened and how it came abo...

Send us Fan Mail Research on the real value of in person friends vs. online friends and what adolescents believe can help us help them develop into healthy functioning adults. They rely on social media. Let's use social media to cultivate and nurture all our adolescents growing up to be responsible adults, particularly those in the LGBTQ+ community. 

Send us Fan Mail This episode provides some easy to follow guidelines for a "safe" and magical trip to visit Santa. There are tips for parents, guardians, and grandparents about how to ensure the visit is as magical as it can be and tips for Santa to ensure that there is no worry for the parents who bring their children.

Send us Fan Mail This episode reminds us of the responsibilities of being an adult sponsor for an event for a group of young people. We consider what to think about before you go and how to approach the whole event in a way that ensures both safety and fun for all concerned. 

Send us Fan Mail In this episode we talk again about the mission of Keeping Them Safe and being an Alert Adult as the responsibility of each and every adult - if we want it to work. Listen and consider what it takes from you to become an Alert Adult and how you can ensure that happens by joining our effort. 

Send us Fan Mail This episode shares the story of a good and longtime friend of Sharon's who was molested by her father beginning when she was 10. Sharon shares Janet's story to raise awareness of the long-term consequences of taking no action and to reinforce the message of Keeping Them Safe. Learning how to be an Alert Adult is why Janet is willing to share her life with you. 

Send us Fan Mail Many times, we are challenged by what to do or say when something gives rise to a concern. We don't want people to think we are accusing them of doing something wrong or being a predator. However, we need to speak up because there is that concern that is to be addressed to ensure a safe environment. This episode talks about ways we can take the action to raise the concern, de...

Send us Fan Mail The focus of Keeping Them Safe is on educating all adults about the ways we can create safe environments and prevent any child from being sexually molested. for over 50 years the professional community has used a particular approach that focused on educating children about prevention and adults about preventing it again. In addition, the professional community has had an eye on th...

Send us Fan Mail This episode takes a look at what advance preparations and considerations can make events safer and more fun if they get your attention. We outline the specific vulnerabilities that are present when sponsoring, chaperoning, or traveling with children and young people that are not your own and the standards of behavior that you, as the adult, can and must bring to the situation to...

Send us Fan Mail This episode considers why it is important for all of us to take some responsibility for creating safe environments for our children and ourselves. It looks at how the professional community has responded to a mandate from the 1993 US Advisory Board on Child Abuse and Neglect and what's missing in their efforts. We also look at our Keeping Them Safe is a response to the manda...

Send us Fan Mail Programs for children are designed to empower them to resist the overtures of a predator. They teach children to say "No!", run away and tell somebody when another scares them or makes them uncomfortable. This episode considers that the opportunity of programs for children could and possibly should be expanded to teach them how to establish and enforce personal boundarie...

Send us Fan Mail This episode includes a Rachel Stanton, LCSW, who works with this particularly vulnerable population who talks with Sharon about what it means to these kids when we do our job as parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and responsible adults to ensure a safe environment.  If you are interested in contacting Rachel directly, please use this link:  https://emdrintensivesboston.com/ . 

Send us Fan Mail In this episode we look at what it is to be an "expert" and examine whether predators are "experts" in seducing our children. We also look at what it takes to become experts at identifying the risky behaviors that threaten the safety of our children and particularly look at the risks from other children.

Send us Fan Mail As a society we are prone to "label" everything and everyone. Just think about the forms you fill out that ask you to check a box to say whether you are "married," "single," "widowed," or "divorced." Whichever box you mark labels you as a certain thing and you are then related to as that. This episode shares some ideas about the im...

Send us Fan Mail We are learning about the behaviors that are common elements in the grooming process as we become Alert Adults. In this episode, we start to consider how the predator actually uses those behaviors to negotiate the steps it takes to go from meeting a child for the first time to accomplishing their goal of sexual abuse. We look at how the behaviors appear and how they forward each o...

Send us Fan Mail This episode offers ideas for expanding the simple concept of most programs that educate children about prevention. The typical program teaches a version of "Say No, Get Away and Tell Somebody." As our goal is prevention by creating safe environments, in this episode we look at how to expand that conversation in a way that empowers our children to establish and enforce p...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode we discuss some research that looked at those child molesters who are already working in the organizations that our children are part of. Who are they and how do we find them and eliminate the risk to our children? What, if anything, makes them distinct from the predators in our families and the volunteers in our organizations?