Every once in a while, we post a book review or recommendation. This is not done very frequently. It takes a lot for a book to get our recommendation. I have such a book before me now. It is a work that I am heartily recommending to every family, especially those with younger children. The title of the book is Protecting Your Child from Predators: How to Recognize and Respond to Sexual Danger(Minneapolis, MN: BethanyHouse Publ., 2019). The authors are Beth Robinson EdD and Latayne C. Scott, PhD. This work is written by two highly educated individuals. Beth Robinson is an experienced Christian counselor with twenty-five years of working with abused and traumatized children. Latayne Scott is a more than able writer and the book’s clarity and accessibility probably reflects her skill. This book is very readable. It is not burdened with technical jargon or excessive notations. It costs about fifteen dollars and is readily available on Amazon and at bakerpublishinggroup.com. I have one copy of this book and am willing to loan it to families for a week or two. Please feel free to borrow it from me.
This book is designed to foster a warrior’s heart in your child. The material is presented in three main sections. Each section focuses on the needs and concerns that children of certain ages will face. For example: the first section is devoted to exploring the needs and dangers that children ages five and under face. The authors discuss what children of that age should know about their bodies and where abuse or in what settings, it is likely to occur. Each section is extremely helpful in presenting the following: case studies, warning signs, preventative measures and what to do if you suspect abuse. This topic is sobering. The authors cite some very disturbing statistics: “Thirty-four percent of child sexual abuse victims are under nine years of age; only 26 percent of the child sexual abuse victims are between the ages of twelve and fourteen. Research estimates that approximately 1 in 6 boys and 1 in 4 girls are sexually abused before the age of eighteen.” (Protecting Your Child, 15.) It is imperative for parents to educate themselves and increase their situational awareness regarding this disturbing topic.
Let’s close this brief recommendation with an endorsement by Jim Daly, president of Focus on the Family: “If you’re a parent, chances are one of your biggest fears is that your child will be sexually assaulted–and given today’s 24-hour news cycle, we see and hear plenty of sickening accounts to feed our worst fears. In their new book, however, Drs. Robinson and Scott encourage you not to live in fear, but to equip yourself and your kids with the awareness and skills that will help keep them safe.”
In Christ,
Pastor Dale