Texas Department of State Health Services, Council on Sex Offender Treatment - Treatment of Sex Offenders

Council on Sex Offender Treatment Treatment of Sex Offenders - Safety Tips

Think safety first.
Be informed and know your local resources.
Be active in your community. Get to know your neighbors.
Never assume your child could not be molested, missing, or abducted.
Build your child’s self-esteem. A child who has low self-esteem is more easily lured.
Teach and practice decision making with your child.
Build support systems. Children need to know where to go for help.
Carefully interview, screen, and background check all caregivers.
Teach age appropriate information regarding physical and sexual abuse.
Use age appropriate role-playing with children. Play “what if” games.
Develop a family code for emergency situations.
Respect a child’s “no”. Do not force a child to hug or shake hands.
Never leave young children unattended for any reason.
Establish ground rules for your child when answering the telephone. Teach your child to screen calls through the answering machine.
Teach and have emergency contact numbers easily accessible.
Teach your child how to make long distant phone calls.
Teach your child to screen telephone calls through the answering machine or caller ID.
Monitor all computer use. Use parental controls.
Teach your child their full name, address, and telephone number including area code. Practice calling long distance.
Teach your child your full name (parent or guardian).
Learn how to access registered sex offender information of the Department of Public Safety website.
Teach your child when it is okay to “make a scene” if someone tries to abduct them. Teach children to scream “you are not my mommy or daddy!”
Have your child’s picture taken at least four times per year.
Keep your child’s records including fingerprints, footprints, dental/doctor information, birthmarks, and birth certificates.
Tell your child that you will never stop searching for them if they were ever taken.
Let kids be kids. Teach them safety but do not scare them