Steph and I both grew up hearing about “Stranger Danger.” The idea of a stranger is amorphous and unclear, and it only alerts children to potential external danger. But most child abuse happens at the hands of someone the child knows—that was the case for Steph. She was abused by someone her family trusted. This is an honest conversation about why potential danger from within a family, a church, or a social circle can be hard for adults to process, and even harder to guard children against. Maybe instead of teaching “Stranger Danger,” we do better to teach kids to trust their gut and talk to a grownup.
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- Did you learn about stranger danger growing up? How did you picture the stranger who would endanger you?
- Do you trust your gut? Why or why not?
- Do you remember a time as a child when you felt uncomfortable? Was it with a stranger? Did you talk to a grownup about it?
- As an adult, what do you do when you feel uncomfortable?