I don't know about less likely to be physically assaulted (thinking of the case of the Magdalene Sisters in Ireland, for example), but I do agree that a child in an all-female environment is a lot less likely to be sexually assaulted.
Just to be totally clear I don't mean any disrespect to your best judgment about how to keep your kids safe! I guess my personal hesitation re: kids not being alone with male adults is that it's a blunt tool in a number of ways. There are more specific warning signs for predators that kids can be taught to recognize - e.g., being asked to keep something secret from their parents, or receiving unusual levels of individual attention from an adult - and they can be given specific, age-appropriate information and language about what predatory behavior and inappropriate touching looks like, and a framework where they know they can go to parents or other trusted adults if they ever feel uncomfortable or unsafe. That gives them tools they can use to keep themselves safe from predators of whatever gender. I guess part of where I'm coming from is that I think cross-generational relationships are hugely important for kids, and it seems a shame not to be able to form them with male adults who aren't relatives.
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timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2011-06-03 02:51 am (UTC)Just to be totally clear I don't mean any disrespect to your best judgment about how to keep your kids safe! I guess my personal hesitation re: kids not being alone with male adults is that it's a blunt tool in a number of ways. There are more specific warning signs for predators that kids can be taught to recognize - e.g., being asked to keep something secret from their parents, or receiving unusual levels of individual attention from an adult - and they can be given specific, age-appropriate information and language about what predatory behavior and inappropriate touching looks like, and a framework where they know they can go to parents or other trusted adults if they ever feel uncomfortable or unsafe. That gives them tools they can use to keep themselves safe from predators of whatever gender. I guess part of where I'm coming from is that I think cross-generational relationships are hugely important for kids, and it seems a shame not to be able to form them with male adults who aren't relatives.