Safe Connections: A Parent's Guide to Protecting Young Teens from Sexual Exploitation

Concerned about keeping your young teen safe? It was much easier to protect our children from sexual harm when they were small and underfoot. Now that they're older, and making connections with others outside the home, what new information do we need to safeguard them from abuse? Sandy K. Wurtele offers wisdom on behalf of 10- to 15-year-olds in her latest book for parents on the subject of abuse prevention. Children in this age range present a unique challenge to-parents who want the richest, safest adolescent experience for their kids. That challenge is the combination of developing sexuality and drive for independence - without enough experience or brain development to always make good decisions! To keep your young teen as safe as you can from abuse: Learn what makes these kids particularly vulnerable to sexual exploitation. Teach them how to recognize and avoid abusive adults or other teenagers as they become more interested romantically and sexually in other people. Learn to recognize if your teen is the abuser and how to get help for him or her. Teach your child about the dangers of sexting and exploitation by online predators and how to avoid both. While it might scare you to think about these dangers, knowledge can equip you and your teenager with the ability to avoid, or deal with, these problems. This will give you and your child confidence in meeting the challenges of this new developmental state.