Webwatch - Parents Protect

Written by IRISS

Thursday, 05 May 2011

Child sexual abuse is a not a subject that most people choose to dwell on for very long, however, the reality is that we are living in a world where such abuses can and do occur. Fortunately, there are initiatives doing good work to raise awareness of the issue and provide support in preventing child abuse. One in particular is Parents Protect, a website developed to raise awareness of child sexual abuse and provide practical information to parents and carers on how to keep children and young people safe from harm. Created by the child sexual abuse prevention campaign, Stop it Now! UK and Ireland and the Lucy Faithfull Foundation, a child protection charity which manages the campaign supported by an alliance of voluntary and statutory sector partners, Parents Protect aims to educate and inform parents and carers about sexual abuse, so such harm can be prevented or identified early on. The site is well organised and strikes a nice balance between text-based information and video/multimedia resources. It offers easy-to-digest chunks of information on subjects such as what child sexual abuse is and what to do if a child tells about abuse; quick facts – debunking the myths and misconceptions of child sexual abuse; warning signs; creating a family safety plan; and the police disclosure scheme. It also features a learning programme, incorporating an awareness video, which enables users to work through a number of issues and topics at their own pace. A whole section is dedicated to Internet safety, covering topics such as grooming, social networking, sexting, cyberbullying, gaming and searching the Internet. Plenty of help and support organisations are provided, including links to the Stop it Now, freephone and confidential helpline. It is a helpful resource for parents and carers who want to know more about child sexual abuse but don’t want to be overwhelmed. Visit the website: http://www.parentsprotect.co.uk