As a parent, we know your child’s safety is your utmost concern. As soon as your children are old enough to form complete sentences, they’re old enough to begin learning how to protect themselves from “bad strangers”. Following these tips and having an open discussion with your kids will teach them how to avoid dangerous situations, or what to do if they find themselves in one.

Sexual assault is, unfortunately, an all-too-common occurrence. But thanks to the history of shame and ignorance surrounding the topic of sexual assault, many people don’t know how to handle a disclosure of sexual assault from another person. They may not realize how critical the period following a sexual assault can be in terms of determining how the victim may be able to recover and move on from the abuse.

Additionally, there are different concerns for child and adult victims of sexual assault, and each type of disclosure should be handled with care and consideration for their differing needs.

If a child tells you that they have been sexually assaulted, keep these key points in mind:

Gaming app Pokémon Go became a sensation almost from the first instant of its July 2016 launch. Fans of the app credit Pokémon Go with encouraging users to exercise, sightsee, and interact with each other and their local neighborhoods. But with those many benefits come some very real and surprising concerns.

What is Pokémon Go?

Pokémon Go is a free, app-based game which creates a virtual world utilizing the player’s GPS location. The object of the game is to catch as many Pokémon characters as possible within this virtual world. Players navigate their surroundings using a virtual map displayed on their smartphone or device. When they approach a Pokémon, the camera on their device activates to allow them to “capture” the character. Players can also obtain free items at designated “Pokéstops”, many of which correspond to churches, landmarks, and public areas.

Did you know that shopping on Amazon can benefit OffenderWatch Initiative? Amazon allows you to enjoy the same products, low prices and convenience while giving you the ability to contribute to charitable organizations easily. Instead of shopping at Amazon, you shop at AmazonSmile. The only difference is that the AmazonSmile Foundation will donate 0.5% of the price of all eligible purchases to the charity you choose.

Tip: Make it easier using the browser extension Smilematic which will automatically redirect you to AmazonSmile whenever you shop at Amazon!

Every two minutes, someone in the United States becomes a victim of sexual assault. This amounts to a total of around 210,000 cases of sexual assault per year. Even more discouraging, over half of all incidents of sexual assault go unreported. In many cases, victims of sexual assault are too afraid or ashamed to seek help; they may also lack awareness of what forms sexual assault can take. They may believe that any act short of completed sexual intercourse does not meet the definition of sexual assault.

However, sexual assault is not limited to one specific act or scenario. There are a number of different types of sexual assault, and each carries profound and lasting impacts for those who experience any form of it. The following categories represent the most common types of sexual assault.