Children are told to look both ways before they cross the street. They are told not to play with fire or fly kites near power lines. But does anyone ever take the time to tell children that their body is their own and that it is beautiful, just the way it is? Telling them to say no when someone to picks them up and they feel uncomfortable, telling them not to let anyone – not even family members or good friends – touch their private parts and surrounding them with positive influences and examples regarding self- and body-image is just as important.

If you’re not armoring the children in your life against the risk of sexual exploitation and abuse, specifically online sexual exploitation, you fall squarely into the overwhelming majority of adults who neglect to do the same. I have two one-year-old nieces and while interning at the International Centre for Missing and Exploited Children for the past six weeks, I was reminded of the fact that adults, should do everything they can to make sure children are safe, healthy and happy. I think there are two ways in which adults are neglecting doing this – they aren’t aware enough of the risk sexual abuse, especially online sexual abuse, and they don’t surround children with positive and realistic influences regarding body and self-image.

The responsibility for empowering children against sexual abuse begins with their caregivers. And I think the main reason for adults not empowering children against it is quite embarrassing. There is a veil of embarrassment that covers the subject of sexuality. Caregivers have a mental block preventing them from being proactive in protecting children from sexual abuse, and quite honestly, with the current popularity of social media, online gaming and other internet facilitated communication technology, it’s like allowing children to roam freely in a forest filled with wolves. Whether or not you believe the children you care for are at risk or not, it is imperative to take the necessary steps to minimize the risk of sexual abuse and exploitation happening at all.

The most important thing you can do is to educate yourself. You need to know the facts about the risks and signals of offline as well as online sexual abuse. When you think of pedophiles and sexual predators - what image comes to mind? The reality is that, there really shouldn’t come any image to mind, because it really could be anyone, even someone you trust. A lot of people don’t know this, but in most cases, children are sexually exploited by someone they know. Family, friends, neighbors, teachers and coaches are all adults who are present in children’s lives and you need to know how much time they spend with and how they interact with the children you care for. Another common misconception is that boys aren’t likely to be sexually abused. This misconception can cause a lot of harm, because although boys are just as likely to be sexually abused, they are less likely to come forward about what is happening to them.

The online world of social media, chat rooms and interactive gaming also adds a whole new sphere of risks. The internet is a wonderful tool for children to explore their areas of interests, but it is also a tool often used by sexual predators to reach out to and exploit children. Sticking your head in the ground about these realities is no longer an option. You need to know what websites the children you care for are visiting, how much time they are spending online and who they are talking to. Do research regarding safe and unsafe websites and the ways in which the children in your life’s online experience could be made safer.

The last thing that could be very helpful regarding preventing sexual abuse and exploitation, is educating yourself about warning signs. The reality is that, no matter how much time you spend educating yourself, all children are exposed to the the risk of sexual abuse. Therefore being able to identify warning signs could be very helpful. Adults who frequently try to find reasons to spend alone time with children, who buy children expensive gifts and a sense of dependency on using the computer or being online could all be possible warning signs.

It is common knowledge that children who are feeling rejected, who are going through personal difficulties or challenges at home and who have low self-esteem are most likely to be targeted by sexual predators. Children are bombarded with sexualized and unhealthy images in advertisements, music videos, television programs and movies which really isn’t doing a good job in building them up. About a week ago I walked into a toy shop to buy gifts for my nieces and I was completely horrified. The dolls so over-sexualized and have bodies that no human will ever be able to acquire. Plus - everything in the girls’ section is pink. Disgusted, I walked over to the boys’ section where I was bombarded with superheroes, muscles and guns. Is this really what we want to surround children with?

Children can be supported by leading by example. Show the children in your life what a healthy body image looks like and why and how they must take care of their bodies. Although you cannot control the media, primary caregivers are still the most important influence in children’s lives. They look up to and imitate you and you need to use this influence to help them develop into adults with a healthy and positive body and self-image.

Think twice about the amount of time you allow the children in your life to spend online and in front of the television, about the toys you buy them and what you say to and in front them. Create a bond with them based on acceptance and unconditional love. Children are safest when they have adults in their lives who they can talk to about anything without fear of being punished. I think children have really good instincts and those instincts should be acknowledged and respected. Having a healthy and open relationship with them can save them from a lot of harm, because sometimes that will be the only why to tell that something isn’t right.

There is no better reflection of a society’s depth and soul than the way they treat and protect their children. Let’s take it upon ourselves to take care of the children in our lives.