Talking to your child about protective behaviours, is really important but can be a tough topic to even think about, let alone know how to talk about. Child sexual abuse statistics are really high all over the world so it is important for your child to know this information, even though you might be feeling anxious or nervous. Books about child protection are a great place to start and can open up doors to positive conversations that can help you keep your child safe from sexual abuse. Choosing a book depends on age, comprehension, situations, questions they ask and reading levels. Would they like to read a picture book, chapter book or a story?
Here are 10 books about child safety that can help you in order of recommended reading levels. Some of these books have notes to the reader and discussion questions to support parents and educators with additional information about child safety education.
- ‘My Underpants Rule’ 3-4 years by Kate and Rod Power is a rhyming book about what is appropriate touch and inappropriate touch and what to do in unsafe situations.
- ‘Everyone’s got a bottom’ 3-5 years by Tess Rowley teaches children the real names for body parts, about safe secrets, boundaries, touch and about safety networks.
- “Do you have a secret?”4-7 years is a book that helps kids distinguish between good and bad secrets
- ‘Only for Me’ 3-8 years by Michelle Derrig is a rhyming book about private parts of the body that children can say no to any touch they don’t like, whatever the touch might be (consent) and that nobody should show them private parts (including pictures or videos)
- ‘I have a little secret’ 5 to 8 years by Kimberley Mc Ewan is an age appropriate story about a young girl who is abused and her disclosure to trusted adults and empowers children to tell until somebody believes them.
- ‘Some Secrets should Never be Kept’ 3 – 11 years by Jayneen Sanders was written to ensure children are armed with knowledge from the first unsafe touch to tell a trusted adult and keep on telling until they are believed.
- ‘Hayden-Reece learns a valuable lesson that private means ‘just for you’ 4-10 years by Holly-ann Martin is about public and private parts. This child book teaches about body safety in a fun and safe way.
- ‘Inside Out’ 8-10 years by Dr Mary Jo Podgurski teaches seven big lessons about child abuse prevention.
- ‘Respect: Consent, boundaries and being in charge of you’ 6-11 years by Rachel Brian is an empowering introduction to consent, bodily autonomy, and how to respect yourself and others.
- ‘An Exceptional Children’s Guide to Touch: Teaching Social and Physical Boundaries‘ 3-11 years by McKinley Hunter Manasco, Katharine Manasco, Hunter Manasco explains in simple terms for children with special needs how to tell the difference between acceptable and inappropriate touch.
Most importantly, when looking for books for your child about child safety or child protection find ones that are positive and where you can ask open-ended questions. With this, you can have lots of ongoing conversations way after you’ve finished reading. It’s so important because this is one subject that needs to be talked about again and again.
