Advice on how to protect a child

As caring adults we want to keep children as safe as possible. We can help you do this.

We all need to know about the issues and be able to understand the signs of harmful behaviours before we can begin to protect the vulnerable from them. To help protect children from sexual abuse we need to feel confident that we:

• Understand potential risks
• Recognise the signs of possible abuse in children
• Are aware of inappropriate behaviour in adults
• Know where to go for help if we have concerns and would like to talk about them
• If we notice changes that might mean that something is wrong we need to know where we can voice our concerns straight away, rather than feeling that we don’t know what to do.

You don’t have to take these steps alone – we can help you.

Call the confidential Stop It Now! helpline on 0808 1000 900 for advice, support and information.

If you’re not ready to speak to someone, you can also use our live chat or send us a secure message.

Child safety advice

Our Parents Protect child sexual abuse prevention website has information and guidance and resources to help you keep children safe online and offline. Its short films will help you to work through the issues at your own pace and aims to:

• Give you the information you need about child sexual abuse
• Show you how to create a family safety plan
• Tell you who you can talk to if you are worried

The first step in preventing or addressing issues about child sexual abuse is to seek help and advice.