Education 1st Step Against Molestation

There are steps parents can take to prevent children from being molested--by teen-agers or anyone else, says Richard Embry, a therapist at the San Fernando Valley Child Guidance Clinic.

First and foremost, parents should educate their children, Embry said. He called this the difference between “good touch and bad touch.” Children should be told that, if someone touches their “private parts,” the child must tell his or her parents immediately.

Parents can also be mindful of who their children are playing with, Embry said. A neighborhood youth who spends a lot of time with younger children could be a risk.

As for baby sitters, Embry warned parents not to hire a teen-ager unless they know the youth well. Parents can explain to the baby sitter that their child has been taught the difference between “good touch and bad touch” and will not keep it a secret if he or she is molested.

“It doesn’t have to be said in a belligerent way,” the social worker said.

There still is so little known about juvenile child molesters that therapists find it difficult to provide parents with hints for recognizing such behavior in their own teen-age children. Linda Knapp, who works with juvenile sex offenders, said the most parents can do is watch to see if their son or daughter exhibits any of the known characteristics, such as playing often with younger children, suffering from severe shyness or not dating.

“That doesn’t mean that every shy kid is going to go out there and molest somebody,” Embry warned. “But if you are wondering, talk to your kids.”

Knapp added: “Sometimes parents don’t want to see things. Keep your ears and eyes open.”