HOW TO PROTECT YOUR CHILDREN

19-22. What can parents do to protect their children? (See cover picture.)

¹⁹ Who have the responsibility to protect children from harm? Parents do.f Your children are a sacred trust, “an inheritance from Jehovah.” (Ps. 127:3) It is your responsibility to safeguard that trust. What can you do to protect your children from abuse?

²⁰ First, educate yourself about abuse. Learn about the kind of individuals who abuse children and the tactics they use to deceive them. Be alert to potential dangers. (Prov. 22:3; 24:3) Remember that in most cases, the abuser is someone the child already knows and trusts.

²¹ Second, maintain good communication with your children. (Deut. 6:6, 7) That includes being a good listener. (Jas. 1:19) Remember that children are often reluctant to report abuse. They may fear that they will not be believed, or they may have been threatened by the abuser to keep the abuse secret. If you sense that something is wrong, kindly draw them out with questions and then patiently listen to their answers.

²² Third, educate your children. Share with them age-appropriate information about sex. Teach them what to say and do if someone tries to touch them in an inappropriate way. Use the information that God’s organization has provided on how to protect your children.​—See the box “Educate Yourself and Your Children.”