Sexual abuse is one of the most difficult topics to talk about with children. So difficult, that often it is easier to just not talk about it at all.
But sometimes it is a conversation that you have to start with your child.
You may have infrequent contact with an adult who has been convicted of child sexual abuse. This is the situation that I was in when my daughter was 4 or 5. This ‘adult’ was a lot of fun and my daughter enjoyed talking with them whenever we saw them. And the situation was awkward as he was living with relatives that lived nearby, and some of the relatives believed that he was wrongly convicted and that I was ‘worried about nothing’. So I had to find a way to explain to my daughter why this person wasn’t a safe person to be with. It was one of the toughest conversations I’ve ever had to have, but a book helped me to find the right words to use.
You might need to explain to your child why they can’t see someone anymore (like a father, uncle or grandparent), because they may be in prison or they aren’t allowed contact. And because they are constantly asking to go visit them, or wanting to know why they can’t visit them, you need to give them an explanation that is child-friendly.
I have created this list because parents have been asking me to suggest books that will help them to talk about sexual abuse. The books in this list will help you to start this conversation in a non-threatening and safe way that children will understand.
If you need some help with explaining sexual abuse, please read this blog post – Helping Parents Explain Sexual Abuse to a Child – A Gentle Approach.
You can find more books about different topics in the main list of Sex Education Books for Children. And if you find this list a little overwhelming, you might want to look at the age-appropriate list of sex education books.
You’ll find more information about sex education in my Sex Education 101 page.
Children’s books about sexual abuse
Below you’ll find all the individual books for talking to children about sexual abuse. Just click the book that interests you to learn more.
NOTE: Before passing any book to your child or reading the book with your child, you should read it yourself first. I might think it is a great book for a certain age child or that the information is valuable, but you may disagree. You need to choose books that reflect your values and the messages you want your child to receive.
Supporting Your Child After Sexual Abuse by Dr Jessica Taylor
You Ruined It by Anastacia HigginBotham
No No The Little Seal by Sherri Patterson and Judith Feldman
The Sexual Trauma Workbook for Teen Girls
Be Brave by Karen Rochester
I Said No! a Kid-To-Kid Guide to Keeping Your Private Parts Private by Kimberly King
Only For Me by Michelle Derrig
I have a little secret by Kimberley McEwan
Gary just didn’t know the rules by Holly-ann Martin
A Secret Safe to Tell by Naomi Hunter
Some Secrets Should Never be Kept by Jayneen Sanders
These are some of the many books for talking to kids about sexual abuse. As I find more, I will add them to this list. They are all really good books that you will find useful for starting this conversation.
Happy reading!
Resources to help with talking about puberty
My mission is to create resources that will help you to naturally talk to your kids about sex, all while respecting your personal values.
Which means that inside this website, you’ll find lots of resources to help you with talking to your child about puberty.
My Sex Ed 101 page includes all of the information on sex education. You’ll find lots of different blog posts to help you gain a better understandign of what sex education is all about.
You’ll find videos about sex education in my Sex Education Videos resource page that you can watch with your child or to learn more about sex education yourself.
You’ll also find an extensive range of children’s sex education books, for kids of all ages.Â
If you’re unsure about how to answer your child’s questions about sex, then I have the perfect book for you! The Sex Education Answer Book will give you age-specific answers to the most common questions kid’s ask parents about sex. Which means you don’t need to worry about finding a child-friendly explanation that your child understands.
If you need some help with explaining sexual intercourse to your child, then you may like my Masterclass on explaining sex for the very first time or my parent guide will also help you explain sex to your child in a way they will understand. It breaks sex down into simple steps that take the stress out of explaining!
Plus you will find plenty more sex education resources at the Sex Ed Shop.
And if you get stuck, feel free to get in touch! You can contact me here.