Some Secrets Should Never Be Kept is a beautifully illustrated children's picture book that sensitively broaches the subject of keeping children safe from inappropriate touch. We teach water and road safety, but how do we teach Body Safety to young children in a way that is neither frightening nor confronting? This book is an invaluable tool for parents, caregivers, teachers and healthcare professionals to broach the subject of safe and unsafe touch in a non-threatening and age-appropriate way. The comprehensive notes to the reader and discussion questions at the back of the book support both the reader and the child when discussing the story.
Story is a powerful medium to discuss difficult topics with children in an appropriate way. Some Secrets Should Never Be Kept was written as a a fable with an important message, i.e. if a child is ever touched inappropriately they need to tell a trusted adult and keep on telling until they are believed. Body Safety Education (also known as protective behaviours or child sexual abuse prevention education) involves so much more than focusing on stranger danger. In fact, 95% of sexually abused children will know their abuser and only 5% will be strangers. It is also crucial for children to learn that they must never keep secrets that make them feel bad or uncomfortable (in fact, we teach it's best not to have secrets in families, only happy surprises). The trouble with secrets is that they are the main tool used by child molesters to ensure children remain silent about the abuse. Ensuring the secret is kept is of utmost importance to the perpetrator. Therefore, threats and insisting no-one will believe the child is used as a way of controlling the child to be silent. Through Body Safety Education parents and children will learn the importance of there being no secrets between us.
Suitable for children aged 3 to 12 years.
"“I felt so incredibly grateful to Jayneen for being brave enough to broach such a difficult subject and for going to such lengths to have her book published. I felt like shouting about it from the rooftops (I had to settle for Facebook) and I hope that people, not just parents but ALL people, will join me in arming our children with the best weapons available to them – self confidence, open communication, body awareness, a safety network and the ability to say ‘NO!’"
- Rebecka Shelberg, Kids' Book Review