Child Safety
This is the most important responsibility of a non-offending parent after disclosure.
What is keeping the child safe?
Children rarely make up sexual abuse allegations because of how difficult disclosure is.
What is true?
After abuse, children may act out, withdraw, or regress because of this.
What is trauma?
This role means you did not cause the abuse but are responsible for protecting your child now.
What is non-offending parent?
After abuse, children need more of this, not less.
What is supervision?
This includes removing access to the offender immediately, even if it is emotionally difficult.
What is protective action?
A child’s story staying mostly the same over time supports this.
What is credibility?
Lying, anger, or sexualized behaviors may be signs of this—not “bad behavior.”
What is trauma response?
This requires choosing your child’s safety over your own discomfort or loss.
What is accountability?
This should always be followed when safety plans are in place.
What are court or agency restrictions?
This happens when a parent prioritizes the relationship with the offender over the child’s safety.
What is failure to protect?
This response can cause long-term emotional harm to the child.
What is disbelief or minimizing?
This happens when a child feels unsafe even after the abuse has stopped.
What is hypervigilance?
This behavior rebuilds trust with your child.
What is consistent protection and honesty?
This includes monitoring phones, social media, and online contact.
What is digital supervision?
This means believing the child and acting to prevent further harm.
What is protective parenting?
This helps a child feel safe enough to heal.
What is being believed and supported?
A child may still love the offender because of this emotional dynamic.
What is trauma bonding?
This can unintentionally harm a child: defending, minimizing, or excusing the offender.
What is enabling?
This is a warning sign that safety boundaries may be slipping.
What is secrecy?
This should never happen once abuse has been disclosed.
What is allowing contact between the child and the offender?
This statement harms children even if said calmly: “Are you sure that really happened?”
What is questioning the truth of the disclosure?
This is often worse when the offender was someone the child trusted.
What is betrayal trauma?
This is shown through actions, not just words.
What is protective behavior?
This means never allowing the offender to communicate with the child indirectly.
What is no contact?