Lauren's Kids Issues Tips for Kids to Stay Safe

Senator Lauren Book (D-FL) who runs Lauren's Kids has played an active role during National Sexual Assault Awareness and Child Abuse Prevention with resources for families.

“For the last 15 years, we have been committed to shining a light into the darkness – shattering stigma to prevent abuse and support survivors,” said Senator Lauren Book, Founder, and CEO of Lauren’s Kids,and one of the 42 million survivors of childhood sexual abuse living in the US today. “All too often, people think ‘no one in my life is experiencing abuse – I would know,’ but in reality, one in three girls and one in five boys will become a victim of sexual abuse before they graduate from high school, and 1 in 5 children who touches a digital device will be sexually solicited online. It doesn’t have to be this way, and Lauren’s Kids has developed free resources to help families teach critical personal safety skills from a place of empowerment and fun, not fear.”

Lauren's Kids believes that the vast majority of childhood sexual assault is preventable and has published five safety tips for children on how to avoid situations like these:

1. Help kids a 'Trusted Triangle' of Grown-Up Buddies: Help the child identify at least three adults they can trust, with at least one being outside the family.
2. Help kids understand body boundaries: Helps child identify their personal bubble.
3. Help kids understand safe contact: Differentiate between safe contact (high-fives) and unsafe contact (assault)
4. Help kids understand safe secrets: Safe secrets are those that make a child feel happy, while unsafe secrets make them uncomfortable or confused.
5. Help kids find their voice: Help your child gain the confidence to yell, "Stop!" when they need to.