Empowering Children to Recognize Abuse

Staffing, Safety, Society: Season 2, Episode 5

As an author, parent, and social worker, Meghan Hurley Backofen knows that abusers rely on secrecy to perpetrate their crimes. That’s why she works to empower children to recognize and report abuse—including through her children’s book Who’s the Boss Of This Body?, and podcast 10 Tips for Sexual Abuse Prevention. In this episode, Meghan explains that it is always the responsibility of adults to protect children from abuse. Yet, she says, part of that responsibility includes teaching the knowledge, skills, and even vocabulary that kids need to seek help, should they ever need it.

• Who’s The Boss Of This Body: Meghan’s book is a great tool for caregivers to talk with their children about sexual abuse. It is available in both English and Spanish.
• 10 Tips for Sexual Abuse Prevention: Meghan’s podcast explores 10 different tips all caregivers should know to protect children from sexual abuse. You can stream this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Amazon.
• Blog Post: In this blog post, Meghan discusses what she considers to be the 10 most important tips in sexual abuse prevention.