(this is part 8 in this series – to read part 7, click here)

Question: How do I recognize changes in behavior that might indicate a child is being or has been abused?

Response: The following are behaviors and symptoms that indicate the possibility that a child has or is experiencing sexual abuse.  Please remember that other than the presence of a STD or pregnancy, you will usually see several of the symptoms.

•    An older child behaving like a younger child such as bedwetting or thumb sucking.

•    Develops a fear of specific places that they one time enjoyed.

•    Resists being alone with a child, young person, or adult especially when they previously enjoyed spending time the person.

•     Pain, itching, bleeding, fluid, rawness, or foul odor coming from the genital area.

•    Fears of going to bed or other sleep disturbances.

•    Play, writing, drawing, or dreams that include sexual or frightening images.

•    Shows resistance to routine bathing, toileting, or removing clothes when in appropriate situations.

•    Develops special relationships with older friends that may include unexplained money, gifts, or privileges.

•    Refuses to talk about a secret they have with an adult or other child – especially an older child.

•    Uses new or adult words for body parts; engages in adult-like sexual activities with toys, objects, or other children.

•    Frequent stomachaches or illnesses without identifiable reasons.

•    Leaves clues that seem likely to provoke discussion about sexual issues.

•    Change in appetite not explained by a known medical condition.

•    Nightmares, sleep problems, extreme fears without obvious explanation

•    Excessive clinginess from a child who has normally been secure.

•    Reluctance of a child to be around someone she or he has normally felt comfortable being around.

•    Seductive behavior with teachers or other children that is not appropriate for the student’s age.

•    Unusual interest in or knowledge of sexual acts and language considered inappropriate for the child’s age.

•    Excessive desire to wash hands or bathe.

•    Refusal to go to the bathroom from a child who has not previously been upset by doing so.

•    Obvious trauma to the mouth, bruising, or other injuries that occur on a regular basis and that the child makes excuses.

•    Drastic change in grades.

•    Excessive aggression toward you, teachers, peers, siblings, or pets not accounted for by loss of loved one, or change in your family situation as previously mentioned or challenges with peer at school or teacher at school.

•    Behaving in a sexually inappropriate manner with other children, toys, or animals.

•    Intentional self-harm, i.e., drug/alcohol use/abuse, cutting, burning, running away, sexual promiscuity, eating disorders

•    Sudden or unexplained personality changes; seems withdrawn, moody, angry, clingy, “checked out”, or shows signed of significant changes in eating habits.

For more information, or to contact Annette directly, you can visit her website or email her directly. The responses within are not intended to replace professional counseling that may be necessary in the situations presented, and do not constitute legal advice. All responses to questions are copywritten and no part of the responses may be reproduced, sorted in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission from Annette Schuster.

Question: A relative abused my child. Should I, (and if so, at what point) allow the two to be around each other?

(this is part 2 of a lengthy question – to read part 1, click here)

Jake Goldenflame, convicted sex offender and author of Overcoming Sexual Terrorism: 40 Ways to Protect your Children from Sexual Predators, makes it clear that sex offenders do not stop abusing children without help.  Even with help, they often reoffend.  His advice as a convicted sex offender is, “never trust us alone with children.”

Your relative needs to submit to whatever the legal process holds which generally includes psychological evaluations and polygraphs conducted by specialists in this field.  He needs to submit to individual and group psychological therapy specific for sex offenders, be in pastoral counseling, and come under the spiritual authority of a church that is scripturally sound.

You might not have reported the abuse because you really love this family member and do not want to “get them in trouble.”  You did not make your relative sexually violate your child.  They have committed a felony.  You did not get them in trouble.

You might not want to report your relative because you are afraid nobody in the family will believe you. You need to report the abuse for the sake of your relative and your child.  Do not keep the family secret. Again, I may be wrong, but exposing the truth may well give someone else he/she has abused the courage to speak the truth about the same relative abusing them or their child.

You may be concerned that your child will experience greater harm by going through the legal system and decide silence is better.  You may think that if you remain silent and do not remind your child of what occurred that they would forget and be just fine.  Children seldom forget abuse.  They may push it out of their mind, but 20, 30, 40 years later it will likely surface and they will wonder why you never took action.

If your child knows you are aware of their abuse and you do not tell – or even worse ask them not to talk about it, you are teaching them to keep secrets and bear the shame of their abuse. 

Maybe the abuse did not include intercourse, so you do not feel it is bad enough to report.  The abuse may not fall under your state’s legal definition of sexual abuse, but legal authorities need to be the ones that make the determination.

Christ died and paid the price for our sins.  Forgiveness is a gift available for your relative should they be repentant. Grace never ignores sin. The blood of Jesus cancels the sentence of an eternity in hell, not the consequences that are to be part of our discipline this side of heaven.  Loving the relative that sexually abused your child means not keeping their secret, and choosing to respond to them in a way that is consistent with God’s word. I recommend that you read Mark Driscoll & Gerry Breshear’s book, Death by Love: Letters from the Cross.  If you were to read only one chapter, I recommend reading, Chapter 5, I Molested a Child.

For more information, or to contact Annette directly, you can visit her website or email her directly. The responses within are not intended to replace professional counseling that may be necessary in the situations presented, and do not constitute legal advice. All responses to questions are copywritten and no part of the responses may be reproduced, sorted in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission from Annette Schuster.

Question:   A relative abused my child.  Should I, (and if so, at what point) allow the two to be around each other?

Response:  Since the focus of this conference was sexual abuse, I assume that you are telling me a relative sexually abused your child.  Assuming I am correct, regardless of the exact nature of the sexual abuse, I would not allow my child to be around their perpetrator until they are an adult.  Many states restrict victims and perpetrators from having contact until the victim turns eighteen years-old.  Some states have laws that restrict contact for life. 

You may be thinking, “Wait, you don’t understand!  My relative has come to love Jesus.  They have confessed their sin to God, their pastor, and family members.  They are paying for counseling and have agreed to do so anytime throughout your child’s life that issues may resurface.”  They may have told you, “I never abused anybody else and will not ever abuse anyone again.”  My opinion does not change.  This may sound like I do not understand grace, God’s ability to redeem sinners, or that I hold a hard line of unforgiveness. Let me be clear.  I am a sinner, who without the atoning blood of my sweet Jesus would spend eternity in hell.  Nobody is in greater need of the grace, love, and forgiveness that fills my life than me because the love of God has rescued me from myself. That said, please bear with me as I explain.

In most states, the law mandates convicted sex offenders serve a sentence of lifetime probation, register as a convicted offender, forbid contact with their victim, and any other person under eighteen years-old.  Sex offenders may not possess photos of their victim, or any other child in their home or on their computer. If your relative knows Jesus, admitted to the abuse, turned themselves into the police, they are likely a convicted sex offender and you would not even BE in the position of determining when and if your child should have contact with their perpetrator. 

It is also possible that you reported the abuse, but for a variety of reasons, the report of abuse was not taken seriously.  Sadly, this does occur.  It is possible that a prosecutor believed the charges were true, but did not feel they could obtain a conviction, thus they did not pursue prosecution. The lack of prosecution does not change my position.

What I have to say next will be difficult to hear if you did not report your child’s abuse. Your relative’s greatest need is to submit to God’s authority.  If your relative has indeed submitted to God, then you will not need to report the abuse – they will turn themselves over to the authorities.  If they do not, then you need to do so. Many states have laws that consider parents to be mandated reporters.  This means, if you know someone has sexually abused your child, you can face legal charges for failing to report the abuse. 

Maybe you have not made a report because your relative told you this is the first time they abused a child and they promised, “I will never do ‘it’ again.”   You might believe your child is your relative’s only victim so you did not make a report.  I, of course, have no way of knowing, but… based on several peer-reviewed studies conducted on convicted sex offenders, I seriously doubt this to be true.  Statistics from the U.S. Department of Justice reveal that sex offender have an average of 117 victims.  Research that is even more recent reveals even higher numbers of victims per perpetrator ranging from 170 – 1,250.   Even if your child is, to date, the only child your relative has abused… it is one child too many.

Your relative needs help. Next week, we’ll elaborate on how best to help them.

For more information, or to contact Annette directly, you can visit her website or email her directly. The responses within are not intended to replace professional counseling that may be necessary in the situations presented, and do not constitute legal advice. All responses to questions are copywritten and no part of the responses may be reproduced, sorted in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission from Annette Schuster.

2 short questions & answers this week…           

Question:  How do I report abuse?

Response: Guidelines for reporting abuse vary depending on the city, county, state, and even whether the suspected or reported offender resides in or outside your home. You can always call 911 and ask who the reporting agency is within your region.  If you call Childhelp USA at 1800-4-A-Child they will give you the correct number to call, or you can access links to your specific state’s reporting guidelines at www.sexualabuse.com.

Question: I finished listening to the presentation Annette Schuster gave from the Mars Hill Church website. You mentioned that there was Internet filtering software available to help protect your kids. Could you please tell me what software you recommend?

Response: Following are several reputable resources available that will help keep your child safe when using the Internet at home. I have marked sites that do not charge for their product. The Federal Bureau of Investigation has a Parent’s Guide to Internet Safety and phone numbers to call in the event someone is making inappropriate contact with your child via the Internet.  Their website is 

www.fbi.gov/publications/pguide//pguide.htm

Great website for cybernetics

www.usjob.gov/criminal/cybercrime/rules/kidinternet.htm

Internet Filtering Resources:

www.netnanny.com

www.cyberpatrol.com

www.cybersitter.com

www.freeshield.com (no fee)

www.kidswatch.com

www.CleanInternet.com (free)

www.safefamilies.com (great audio/video presentation)

For more information, or to contact Annette directly, you can visit her website or email her directly. The responses within are not intended to replace professional counseling that may be necessary in the situations presented, and do not constitute legal advice. All responses to questions are copywritten and no part of the responses may be reproduced, sorted in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission from Annette Schuster.

Question:   My dad abused my sisters when we were growing up.  My husband and I will not allow our 15-month old daughter to be alone with him, even though the abuse occurred 30 years ago and he has demonstrated some change.  How should we tell my parents that she is not allowed around him alone? Additionally, as she gets older and sees her cousins around him
(and spending time alone), how should we tell her that our situation is different?
 

Response:  First, let me affirm you and your husband’s decision to protect your daughter by not leaving her alone with her grandfather.  Many would rather ignore the data of previous abuse, than face the reality that most sex offender are never caught, are most commonly someone the family knows and trusts, and that according to the Department of Justice, sex offenders have an average of 117 victims.  Jake Goldenflame, a convicted sex offender wrote in his book, Sexual Terrorism, 40 Ways to Protect Your Children, “We (sexual predators) did not wake up one day and decide we wanted to sexually abuse children.  The best advice I can give you is that you should never, ever leave us alone with children.  The best you can hope for is that we will learn not to act on our impulses.  Don’t give us a chance to do so.” This means that even though the abuse occurred over 30-years ago, you and your husband are being wise by setting boundaries and not letting your daughter alone with grandpa.

Your question, “How should I tell my parents that your father is not allowed to be alone with your daughter?” leads me to wonder how, or if the abuse was addressed.  I am not sure what you mean when you say, “he has demonstrated some change.” Ask yourself the following:

• Has anyone ever confronted your father regarding the abuse he perpetrated? 
  
• Is your mother aware the abuse that occurred? 
  
• If nobody has confronted your father, why not?
  
• If he was confronted what was his response? 
  
• If confronted, what professional help has he sought? 
  
• If confronted, did he, without any sense of defensiveness acknowledge what occurred, repent, and ask forgiveness? 
  
• Is your father a believer who submits to God, and the spiritual authority of his church?

I ask these questions, because quite frankly, if your father has indeed acknowledge the harm he caused, sought professional counseling as a perpetrator, has turned his life over to Christ, and is submitting to the spiritual authority of his church, you would not need to explain anything to your father.  He would be busy reassuring you and your siblings that he will be diligent in not allowing a situation to occur where he is alone with any of the kids.  He would be humble, non-defensive, and supportive of the boundaries.  Sexual abuse is a felony that carries in part a sentence of lifetime probation and registration as a sex offender.  This means, the law would mandate that your father could not be with his grandchildren or any other child…ever.

If nobody has ever confronted your father, then somebody needs to do so.  Failing to confront him is a failure to love him.  God did not create perpetrators.  Genesis 1:26 tells us that God created man and woman in His image.  I do not know the extent of the abuse.  Regardless of the exact details, no abuse is acceptable.  Your father needs to be confronted with his sin, his depravity, his need for a saving relationship with Jesus Christ.  Your father also needs to have the opportunity to listen to your sisters, the harm his abuse has caused them, an opportunity to repent first to God, then to your sisters.  He needs to make known what he has done to his pastor, seek professional counseling, be willing, to the best of his ability pay for whatever counseling, is needed for healing (restitution) and possibility even more, and must agree to never be alone with children. 

At 15-months old, your daughter is not quite old enough to protect herself and understand what others can and cannot do to her or what she should or should not do to others. You can begin teaching her about her private parts and that nobody should touch by the time she is

2 1/2 – 3 years old.   Thus, if children are going to be around grandpa, then the following are some boundaries that need to be set and maintained:

1.      He does not help change diapers, assist a child with showers, bathing, or going to the restroom.
2.     Kids may not sit on his lap.
3.     Brief hugs are acceptable as long as the child feels comfortable.
4.     Grandpa may not lay down with children for naps or bedtime.
5.     Grandpa cannot be in a room alone with your daughter.
6.     Grandpa may not take children anywhere where another adult who knows his past is not present.

I am sad and angered as I read the words of a daughter having to protect her daughter from her father/grandfather.  Everybody loses so very much when abuse is experienced.  We are blessed to have the hope that lies within Jesus, and your daughter is blessed to have a wise and protective mommy and daddy.

For more information, or to contact Annette directly, you can visit her website or email her directly. The responses within are not intended to replace professional counseling that may be necessary in the situations presented, and do not constitute legal advice. All responses to questions are copywritten and no part of the responses may be reproduced, sorted in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission from Annette Schuster.

Question:  How can we try to avoid exposing our child to sexual abuse?
 

We must pay attention to probabilities and avoid high-risk situations. The following are helpful guidelines for maintaining this vigilance in a variety of situations; last time we looked at health, home, moms, and stepfathers, and this time we look at childcare, friends, strangers, and the internet.

Regarding daycare and professional childcare:

1. Make sure daycare centers you use are licensed and in good standing.  Ask for verification that all daycare workers, including janitorial staff, are fingerprinted and have gone through state and federal background checks.
2. Remember, even if a person has a clean record, it does not mean they are not a sexual predator. It means, IF they are a sexual predator, they have not yet been caught and convicted.
3. Does the organization conduct pre-employment drug screening?
4. Does the organization conduct sexual abuse prevention/awareness training to all employees and volunteers at least annually?
5. What do other parents have to say about the organization or person you are considering trusting to care for your child?
6. Pay attention to verbal and non-verbal messages that you child may be giving you which indicate that something is not right.

1. Take time to get to know your child and their friends, and their friend’s families.
2. Remember, private behavior cannot be predicted by public behavior.”  Just because someone is nice, does not mean they are not a sexual predator.
3. Have an “open door policy” when friends are over playing, AND when they are playing at someone else’s home. Let other parents know that you desire they use an open door policy when your child is in their home.
4. Do not be afraid to ask questions of your children or of those your children are with.
5. Participate in classroom, sports, and camp activities.

1. Is there a computer in your home?  Set it up in a public place and utilize filters which protect your child from accidentally accessing pornography. ALSO, Is there a computer in the home your child visits?  What protection do they provide?
2. Instruct your children to never, EVER agree to meet someone they have met on the Internet.
3. Never upload (post) photos of themselves onto the Internet or in chat rooms unless you give permission and are certain they are doing so on a safe site.
4. Teach them that people online do not always tell the truth.  Explain that someone may say they are 10 or 11-years old, and may even post a photo that confirms their age, but in fact be an adult.  The number one way children are kidnapped today is by information given by children in chat rooms.

If something in your gut tells you that a person or situation does not feel right, pay attention to your gut and do not subject your child to the possibility of abuse. Remember, it is better to be what others may consider overly cautious than not cautious enough. Above all, listen to your instincts.

Click here to proceed to PART FOUR

For more information, or to contact Annette directly, you can visit her website or email her directly. The responses within are not intended to replace professional counseling that may be necessary in the situations presented, and do not constitute legal advice. All responses to questions are copywritten and no part of the responses may be reproduced, sorted in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission from Annette Schuster.

Question:  How can we try to avoid exposing our child to sexual abuse?

Response: There are several things that you can to do to help prevent your child or children from experiencing sexual abuse.  Anne Salter, Phd., suggests the following lens for protecting our children.  She reminds us of a time when those caring for patients in the hospitals rarely used gloves when treating patients.  Once AIDS came along, it became clear that caretakers could not tell simply by looking at a patient whether they carried the infection.  Now, everyone wears gloves with every patient, regardless of whether they “look like” they have AIDS. She is quoted as saying:

“… assume every coach, every priest, every teacher…, is not likely to be a sexual predator, but that one could be and that you will not know if he or she is.  Given that we cannot detect child molesters or rapists with any consistency, we must pay attention to ways of deflecting any potential offenders from getting access to our children.” 

We must pay attention to probabilities and avoid high-risk situations. The following are helpful guidelines for maintaining this vigilance in a variety of situations including health, home, moms, and stepfathers; next week we’ll look at childcare, friends, strangers, and the internet.

Regarding your OWN health:

1. If YOU have experienced abuse, then make sure you seek out help from your church, and if necessary a professional trained counselor to help you walk through how the abuse you experienced has been and continues to be experienced in relationship with God and others today.
2. If you feel uncomfortable with your personal sexuality, and feel uncomfortable talking with and teaching your children about their sexuality in a healthy and age appropriate manner, please seek help exploring and working through your discomfort because it makes your children more vulnerable to perpetrators and seeking out information in potentially unhealthy places.
3. Do you abuse alcohol, drugs, pornography (printed or electronically)?  Seek help from your church, a professional counselor, or check out a variety of life transformation groups.
4. If you are married, do not ignore ongoing emotional, spiritual, or sexual distance in your relationship.  Seek help from your church, a professional counselor, or trusted friends.

Regarding the home:

1. Be active and present in your child’s life.  Make sure you are the parent sitting at the sidelines during soccer, basketball, soccer, baseball.  When you are present, your child is less vulnerable. 
2. If you are a single mother or father, make sure you have a good network of friends, a spiritual community that embraces you and your child(ren) as a family. 
3. Play with your children, and let your child be a child.
4. Let them know that you love.  Setting healthy, consistent boundaries is one way of demonstrating your love.  Tell them you love them every day.
5. Be safe.  Respect your child’s emotional, physical, and sexual boundaries at home, so they know what is healthy when they are not at home.

1. Are you a single mother?  If so, be very careful when dating or considering remarriage.  Research indicates that 47% of stepfathers sexually abuse their daughters.  This same research revealed that 26% of biological fathers sexually abuse their daughters. This means that the potential of a stepfather sexually abusing one of your children doubles. 
2. Make sure you involve your faith community and trusted friends in your life when dating.  
3. Insist on quality pre-marital counseling.  
4. Take a long time to get to know the men you date and consider marrying.  
5. Be aware of your level of emotional and spiritual health.  We rarely marry someone who is healthier than we are.

These are just the areas closest to us; next week we’ll look at the myriad “outside” influences and how to take precautions in dealing with them.

Click here to proceed to PART THREE

For more information, or to contact Annette directly, you can visit her website or email her directly. The responses within are not intended to replace professional counseling that may be necessary in the situations presented, and do not constitute legal advice. All responses to questions are copywritten and no part of the responses may be reproduced, sorted in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission from Annette Schuster.

Question #1:  How do you identify a
child molester?
 

Answer:  I wish that I could provide a checklist that everyone could memorize and carry around with to review in the event you suspect someone is a child molester.  The problem is that we all have preconceived ideas about how child molesters look, how much money they earn, their gender, nationality, religious orientation, smell, act, and talk.

In Anna Salter’s book, Predators, Pedophiles, Rapists, & Other Sex Offenders, she reminds us that, “the biggest misconception is that child molesters are somehow different from the rest of us.  The only difference between a pedophile is that they have sex with children.” 

Many sex offenders are lawyers, pediatricians, pastors, priests, police officers, mothers, fathers, siblings, grandparents, aunts, uncles, best friends, next-door neighbors, youth camping and sports leaders, music teachers, and educators. You will not like my next sentence.  Sex offenders are some of the most likable folks out there.  The majority of sex offenders are nice.  “Niceness is a decision,” writer Gavin De Becker wrote in The Gift of Fear.  It is a strategy of social interaction.  It is not a character trait.”  

The main goal of a sex offender is to gain your trust and the trust of your child.  Research reflects that 90 – 92% of sex offenders are someone you and/or your children know and trust.  Their goal is gain trust. 

The following are some common characteristics of sex offenders, but the list is in no way complete. It is also important that you do not pass judgment on others by assuming that someone possessing these characteristics is a sex offender.  This list is meant to help raise your level of awareness.

Common characteristics of sex offenders

• 90 – 92% of the time has a relationship with both the family and child
• Is always in a position of authority or trust
• Appears normal
• Can be from any religious, cultural, or ethnic group, and any socio-economic level
• Understands and capitalizes on the child’s vulnerability
• Grooms a child over a long period of time
• May have been abused a child or adolescent
• Threatens, bribes, shames, and intimidates the child into remaining silent.
• May try to make the child feel special
• Two-thirds of the time does not use physical violence
• Usually abuses a child over a long period of time – not just one time.
• Will abuse children of any gender
• Often has a variety of addictions
• Can be of any age as long as the abuser has a position of control or power.  This same age children with same age children, teens, or young, middle age, and senior citizens.
• An adolescent or adult who tends to struggle with same-age (peer) relationships.  These folks get along really well with young children.  People usually see this person as someone who is wonderful with kids.
• Has often abused anywhere from a few children upward to 1,200 kids prior to being reported.
• Has a special interest in your child that he/she does not take in other children.  Buys special gifts or takes special places.
• Is manipulative.  Sex offenders are master deceivers and often seek to volunteer in churches and other non-profit organizations.  Convicted sex offenders are frequently able to convince others they never committed the crime(s) that lead to their imprisonment or lifelong probation.

Stop It Now!, an organization whose focus is stopping child sexual abuse by addressing harmful or abusive behavior of teenagers, recommends being aware of the following:

Do you know a child or adolescent who:

• Seeks out the company of younger children and spends an unusual amount of time in their company.
• Takes younger children to ‘secret’ places or hideaways or plays “special” games with them (e.g. doctor and patient, removing clothing etc.) especially games unusual for their age.
• Insists on hugging or kissing a child when the child does not want to be hugged or kissed.
• Tells you they do not want to be alone with a child or becomes anxious when a particular child or young person is coming to visit.
• Frequently uses aggressive sexual language about adults or children.
• Shows sexual material to younger children.
• Makes sexually abusive telephone calls.
• Shares alcohol or other drugs with younger children or teens.
• Views child pornography on the internet or elsewhere.
• Exposed his or her genitals to younger children.
• Forces sex on another adolescent of child.
• Forces child to touch his/her genitals.

If you answered yes to any of these questions, you should talk to the child or young person and seek advice.

Click here to proceed to PART TWO

For more information, or to contact Annette directly, you can visit her website or email her directly. The responses within are not intended to replace professional counseling that may be necessary in the situations presented, and do not constitute legal advice. All responses to questions are copywritten and no part of the responses may be reproduced, sorted in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission from Annette Schuster.

On January 17^th, 2009 at the Lake City Campus, Annette Schuster of Kids Need To Know offered a sensitive, wise, and useful map to navigate the unique waters that parents must face when trying to protect the children in their care. 

The event prompted many questions, and in the coming weeks, Annette’s answers will be posted here every Wednesday as part of a series for our parents and children.  Annette has a Masters Degree in Counseling and has a private counseling practice in Arizona where she works primarily with adults and teens sexually abused as children.  Her passion is to continue to develop material to help parents, children, and professionals learn how to best educate and protect children.

You can listen to the audio from the event and download the conference packet on the main Mars Hill Church website HERE.  For more information, or to contact Annette directly, you can visit her website or email her directly. The responses within are not intended to replace professional counseling that may be necessary in the situations presented, and do not constitute legal advice. 

All responses to questions are copywritten and no part of the responses may be reproduced, sorted in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission from Annette Schuster.

Upcoming Questions:
1. How can you identify a Child Molester?
2. How can we prevent our child from experiencing sexual abuse? 

Click here to proceed to PART ONE