Books for talking to kids about sexual abuse
Sexual abuse is one of the most challenging topics to talk about with children. It is so tricky 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 to them whenever we saw them. 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 most challenging conversations I’ve ever had as a parent, but a book helped me 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 visit them or wanting to know why they can’t see them, you need to give them a child-friendly explanation.
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.
If you’re looking for a book on a different topic, look at my main list of sex education books for children. It includes over 40+ topics!
You’ll also find more information about sex education on my Sex Education 101 page.
Children’s books about sexual abuse
You’ll find an age-specific list of children’s books that discuss sexual abuse. All of the books on this topic are currently showing.
All of the ages are visible, regardless of whether they’re relevant (or not). If no books appear for your chosen age, then it means there aren’t any relevant books.
To find relevant books for your child’s age, click on their age, and the appropriate books will appear.
NOTE: Before passing any book to your child or reading it with them, 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. Try to choose books that reflect your values and the messages you want your child to receive.
I don’t have any books on this topic for this age yet. Try another topic above.
Find practical tools to educate kids about sex education in the Sex Ed Shop
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.
Oh, and please do let me know if you know of a book to be added to this list!
Happy reading!
❤️ Cath