This theme identifies the indicators of sexual abuse and the impact of interrupted sexual development, highlighting the unique challenges associated with parenting children who have been sexually abused. The potential risk factors for children who have experienced sexual trauma including re-victimization, sexual trafficking, and re-enactment behaviors are covered. Effective parenting strategies that can help keep children safe and help them heal from sexual trauma are highlighted.

• Identify indicators of sexual abuse.
• Describe the risk factors for children who have been sexually abused and how to respond to prevent these risk factors from manifesting.
• Know how to draw safe boundaries with and for children around sexualized knowledge and/or behaviors.

• Willing to examine personal feelings and how this might impact parenting children who have experienced sexual trauma.
• Embrace the concept that children are not at fault for sexual abuse/assault they have experienced.
• Willing to parent children with the understanding that sexual abuse/exposure is often undetected.
• Prioritizes children experiencing as few losses as possible.
• Willing to learn parenting strategies that help ensure children’s safety and healing from sexual trauma.