Protecting your Child from Predators by Beth Robinson & Latayne C. Scott Book Review

Even good parents often underestimate the dangers their children face. Research indicates that one in four females and one in six males are sexually abused before age eighteen. In most cases, the enemy is not a faceless stranger; it’s someone you know and trust – a neighbor, a coach, or even a family member.

This book provides practical steps to ensure you’re doing all you can to reduce the risks of abuse. But since you cannot be with your children 24/7, it goes beyond what you can do as a parent to teach you how to increase your child’s own awareness and strategies in the face of potential dangers – without making them fearful.

Dr. Robinson, whose decades-long practice focuses on abused and endangered children, calls on her own case studies to show age-appropriate conversation starters for parents, teaching them how to ask the right questions and provide the right boundaries.

This book will help you move from fear to confidence on this heavy topic that is just too important to ignore.

 My Thoughts:

It’s a sad thing that as parents we have to be diligent in protecting our children from predators. We live in a fallen world where sin abounds. As a parent I want to protect my children the best that I can. Being informed is one way we can do so.

There are some heart wrenching stories that are in this book to get a point across. Just a heads up if you have been a victim of sexual abuse

Despite reading about an unpleasant topic the book reads quickly and is broken down by topics if you need to search for certain areas at a later time. After an introductory the book is broken down by section with ages with several topics like what they should know at that age. And depending on the age group it could cover over topics like at the sitter, or abuse with a family member, friend, or even a cousin. As our kids get older we have to consider things like sleepovers, authority figures, summer camp, stranger danger, mission trips, coaches, dating violence, public places, and technology.

The book is divided in these age groups.

Section I: Children Five and Under

Section II: Children Ages Six to Eleven

Section III: Ages Twelve and Over

I have two teenagers and in our modern technology world our kids surpass our knowledge of technology.  I found this section helpful. It talks about how Wikipedia is one of the most dangerous sites because of all the links and what they lead to you. It goes over YouTube and the links that are put into the comment section.

I was aware of the apps that look like calendars, calculators, and games and I’m glad that this topic was covered. It’s a good reminder that we have to be diligent looking at our kids apps.

Despite how good our kids may be the reality is that our kids don’t have a lot of real life experience. They may think they know more than we do but we should be there to help them along this journey. They know that they should chat or share with strangers but, what if they are approached online? It’s a real life situation and do they are we know how they will really respond. They may not want to seem rude and say a quick reply to get them away. Then maybe they think that person wasn’t so bad but, what about the next one?

There are specific questions for caregivers for you to ask when searching for a baby sitter. The book covers the realities of predators in our place of worship, and at schools by trusted authorities.

The book has several scriptures that remind you not to live in fear. Yes, we entrust our kids in the hands of God.

This is a very informative book that I highly recommend.

 I received a free copy of this product from Bethany House Publishers in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. All opinions I have expressed are my own or those of my family. I am disclosing this information accordance with the FTC Regulations.