Child Sexual Abuse: The Reality
This page contains content related to child sexual abuse, which may be distressing or triggering. Whether this topic affects you personally or not, please take care of your emotional well-being. If you feel overwhelmed, we encourage you to pause and reach out for support.
1 in 9 North Dakota children
According to a 2025 study published in Frontiers in Public Health, approximately 11% of children in North Dakota are expected to experience child sexual abuse—equivalent to about 1 in 9 children.
90% of children are sexually abused by someone they know
Research shows that approximately 90% of children who are sexually abused are harmed by someone they know and trust—such as a family member, family friend, coach, teacher, or neighbor. This highlights the importance of awareness, education, and open communication to help protect children and support survivors.
While the public often imagines adults as the primary perpetrators of child sexual abuse, research shows that a large proportion of these offenses—up to 70%—are committed by other minors. This underscores the importance of age-appropriate education, supervision, and early intervention.
We must believe that prevention is possible—because it is.
Every child deserves to grow up safe, respected, and free from harm. By raising awareness, educating communities, and supporting survivors, we can break the cycle of abuse.
Prevention isn’t just a hope—it’s a responsibility, and it starts with us.
Prevention Resources for Adults
At FFND, we believe that every adult has a fundamental duty to protect children.
Ensuring their safety, health, and well-being is not just a moral obligation, it’s a legal one. Each of us plays a vital role in creating a world where children are safe, supported, and free from harm.
To help you fulfill this responsibility, we’ve created and gathered essential resources designed to empower and guide you in keeping children safe.
Together, we can build a safer future for every child.
This guide, initially developed by the North Dakota Child Sexual Abuse Prevention Task Force, is designed to educate and empower caregivers with practical tools and knowledge to prevent child sexual abuse. It provides essential strategies, warning signs, and proactive steps to help keep children safe.
Updated 2026.
This one-pager helps adults understand healthy sexual development in children from birth to age 18. It outlines age-appropriate behaviors and identifies signs that may indicate concerning or harmful behavior, equipping caregivers with the knowledge to support children’s development and safety.
With new routines, activities, and caregivers, summer can create more opportunities but also more risks. Most harm happens in everyday settings with people children know and trust, which is why awareness and simple precautions matter!
This two-page guide frames parents and caregivers as the “pilot” of their family’s digital world. They are in charge of setting boundaries, teaching skills, and guiding safe online experiences. Aligned with the Digital Guardianship training, it emphasizes being intentional, proactive, and consistent.
Preventing Child Sexual Abuse: More Than Just Body Safety
Child sexual abuse prevention goes far beyond teaching body safety rules or identifying trusted adults. It’s about building a foundation of confidence, awareness, and healthy boundaries, starting with everyday interactions.
As adults, we play a powerful role in helping children grow strong, safe, and resilient. Through simple, daily activities (like encouraging body awareness and modeling respectful boundaries) we can empower kids to understand their rights and trust their instincts.
What You Can Do:
Teach children the names of their body parts and that their bodies belong to them.
Encourage open communication and active listening.
Model and respect personal boundaries in everyday life.
Explore Helpful Resources Below
Discover tools and activities designed to support you in fostering a safe, confident environment for the children in your life.
This Internet Safety Promise is a practical guide for caregivers committed to protecting children in the digital world. It outlines key safe online practices, including setting boundaries, monitoring activity, encouraging open communication, and modeling responsible behavior, empowering adults to create a safer digital environment for kids.
Exposure to inappropriate or unsafe content can happen in everyday settings like the bus, making it important for children to understand how to recognize material that feels confusing, scary, or wrong. Teaching the difference between safe and unsafe content, along with identifying trusted adults, helps children respond confidently and seek support when needed.
Body Safety Poster
Hang this poster in a visible spot (like the bathroom, bedroom, or kitchen) as a daily reminder of your child’s body safety rules and use it to spark regular conversations that help you stay actively engaged as a caregiver.
Prevention Resources & Activities for Children
Trusted Adults Worksheet
Use this worksheet to help your child identify and write down trusted adults, then keep it visible and revisit it often to reinforce safety conversations and strengthen their support system.
Body Safety Maze- Max
Use this maze to reinforce the message that your child’s body belongs to them, then keep it visible and revisit it often to reinforce safety conversations around safe & unsafe touch, consent, and body safety.
Body Safety Coloring Sheet
This coloring sheet is a fun and creative way to help children learn and remember their body safety rules, while giving caregivers a chance to talk through each concept in a relaxed, age-appropriate way.
What Would You Do Activity
Use this worksheet to practice real-life safety scenarios with your child, helping them build confidence in what to say and do while encouraging ongoing conversations and guidance from trusted adults.
Body Safety Maze- Nadia
Use this maze to reinforce the message that your child’s body belongs to them, then keep it visible and revisit it often to reinforce safety conversations around safe & unsafe touch, consent, and body safety.
Word Search Activity
Use this word search to introduce and reinforce key body safety concepts in a fun, engaging way, while creating opportunities to talk with your child about rules like consent, privacy, and trusted adults.
Yes or No Activity Sheet
Use this activity to help your child practice identifying safe vs. unsafe situations, building confidence in saying “yes” or “no” while reinforcing body safety rules through everyday conversations.
Body Safety Maze- Sophie
Use this maze to reinforce the message that your child’s body belongs to them, then keep it visible and revisit it often to reinforce safety conversations around safe & unsafe touch, consent, and body safety.
Every professional who works with children plays a vital role in preventing child sexual abuse. Whether you're a teacher, childcare provider, coach, or youth leader, your daily interactions with children put you in a unique position to recognize warning signs, create safe environments, and empower children with knowledge and support.
By staying informed and proactive, you help build a community where children are protected, heard, and safe.
Click the buttons below to access resources to help you protect children.
Prevention for Professionals
This guide, originally developed by the North Dakota Child Sexual Abuse Prevention Task Force, offers a comprehensive resource for professionals working with children. It highlights available curriculum designed to educate and empower children, outlines training opportunities for adults to recognize and respond to abuse and presents best practices for creating safer environments through effective policies and procedures. Whether you're an educator, childcare provider, or youth-serving professional, this guide is designed to support your efforts in protecting children and fostering safe, supportive spaces. If you’d like a printed copy, please reach out to the Director of Prevention Initiatives at: lburkhardt@familiesflourishnd.org.
Guide updated in 2026.
Children are most often victimized in isolated, one-on-one situations with minimal supervision. The school bus is one such setting where kids are together, but adult oversight is often limited. This tool offers practical suggestions to help create a safer, more supervised bus experience for every child.
Education is a pivotal part of prevention—it’s not the only tool, but it plays a vital role in keeping children safe. Families Flourish ND offers a variety of educational sessions designed for any adult on child sexual abuse prevention, including professionals and caregivers. These sessions aim to spread awareness and empower communities with knowledge.
To learn more or schedule a session, please contact Lindsey at lburkhardt@familiesflourishnd.org.
All trainings have been submitted to the Growing Futures registry and are approved for credit.
Check out our YouTube Channel for access to our CAP Month Virtual Series sessions and preview some of the sessions listed below. Visit our channel here: https://www.youtube.com/@FamiliesFlourishND
Education and Awareness Sessions
Child Sexual Abuse: Prevention is Possible
This session addresses the serious issue of child sexual abuse with a focus on education and prevention. Participants will explore key topics including risk and protective factors, grooming tactics, red flag behaviors, and the long-term impact of abuse. The session concludes with practical, empowering strategies to help protect children and equip them with the tools they need to stay safe.
Fostering Healthy Boundaries and Body Awareness
This session emphasizes the importance of teaching children to understand and respect personal boundaries—their own and others’. By fostering body awareness and encouraging open communication, children gain the confidence to express their needs and limits. These skills not only help prevent potential harm but also support healthy self-esteem and relationships throughout life.
Understanding & Nurturing Healthy Sexual Development
Understanding healthy sexual development is a vital component of child sexual abuse prevention. This session explores developmental milestones from birth through age 18, highlighting both typical and concerning behaviors. Participants will learn how to respond appropriately to a range of behaviors using a non-shaming, health-based approach that builds protective factors and supports children’s overall well-being.
Digital Guardianship: Protecting Kids Online
This session explores the role of digital guardianship in keeping kids safe in the online world. Participants will learn the 3 R’s—Rules, Relationships, and Responses.
The session aims to empower participants, provide tangible takeaways, and remind adults that they are not alone in navigating the complexities of keeping kids safe in the online world.