The recent upsurge of sexual abuse in child care settings suggests that these children and their families are in special need of preventive education. Presentations to young children are most likely to be understood and retained when they are given over a period several short sessions, using language and tools that will help them to pass the difficult concepts presented.

Because young children are so vulnerable to molestation, better societal controls over child care facilities are also essential. There is a great need for more licensed day care facilities in this country. There is also a need for better screening of, monitoring of, and accountability from the employees in these settings. In addition to educating parents, it is also necessary to educate preschool and day care center administrators and teachers about how to recognize symptoms of sexual abuse in play and classroom settings, what must be reported, and how to make a report of suspected abuse.

Currently, there is a crisis in many child care settings over the fear of unfounded allegations of sexual abuse. This fear may drive some qualified child care providers out of the profession, while others are becoming afraid to touch children or even to be alone with them. Others avoid such common acts as changing a child's diaper or wiping a child's bottom because they fear being falsely accused of molestation.

The backlash that is now occurring in some preschools threatens to deprive children of the nourishment and affection that is so important to healthy development and so rewarding to children as well as teachers. Workshops assisting parents and teachers to explore these issues in a safe environment might help adults to confront some of these very sensitive issues. Optimally, prevention programs should focus as much attention on encouraging affection and healthy physical contact as they do on emphasizing how to identify sexual abuse.

Another prevention goal must be to reduce the systemic abuse that many children endure after an abuse report is made. As resources begin to be channeled into prevention programs, they should also be going toward the improvement of our systemic responses to the abuse. It will not be helpful to generate a significant increase in reports of molestation young children if there are not appropriate agencies and facilities to handle the cases sensitively and effectively.

Ultimately, it is necessary to identify and effectively treat perpetrators order to prevent sexual abuse of young children. Currently, very little is known about the dynamics of those who molest infants and preschool age children, although some professionals believe that they constitute a population that is very different from other sexual abusers. It is necessary for future prevention of abuse to determine how these perpetrators differ from those who molest older ,children, in order to develop appropriate and meaningful prevention and treatment programs. The question of whether perpetrators who molest very young children can be treated effectively in ways that will prevent further victimizing behavior is particularly crucial, given the current difficulty in obtaining convictions and the relatively short duration of most prison sentences. Finally, treatment programs for youthful perpetrators is very important, given the cyclical nature of this problem and the research indicating that most victimizing behavior begins at a very early age. Our best hope for preventing sexual abuse may be in stopping it when it first begins, and in better understanding its relationship to prior victimization.

Research is needed to determine what children learn from prevention workshops. Are the children only able to mouth the concepts presented, or are they able to use them effectively to prevent harm? It is also important to determine whether further prevention workshops must be given at different developmental stages. In summary, there are several significant directions to be taken toward the prevention of sexual abuse of young children. (see SEXUALLY ABUSED CHILDREN | RECOMENDATIONS FOR TRAINING: RECOMMENDATION FOR PREVENTION PART III)

About The Author
David Crawford is the CEO and owner of a Penis Enlargement Facts company known as Penis Enlargement Group which is dedicated to researching and comparing penis enlargement products in order to determine which penis enlargement product is safer and more effective than other products on the market. Copyright 2011 David Crawford of Penis Enlargement Drugs This article may be freely distributed if this resource box stays attached.