Kids Corner: "It's Perfectly Normal"

Finding resources for children who are survivors of sexual assault in the Bay Area is no small feat. Finding people who are experts and have extensive experience are even harder to come by. So we're bringing to the blog a tag called Kids Corner! We'll be sharing books, resources and information regarding child survivors here.

First stop at Kids Corner is a book called "It's Perfectly Normal" by Robie H. Harris and Michael Emberley. When children are sexually abused at a young age, children respond in a couple of ways as they grow up. They may want to completely avoid all things sexual until a very late age or they may begin exploring things related to sex at a very young age.



Experts over at CASARC recommend the book "It's Perfectly Normal" as a good first step when your child starts to explore. A cartoon bird and bee explore the human body, sexual organs, different bodies and take a matter of fact approach to learning about the biological and social implications of sex. It provides a safe space for a child to share openly, ask questions, and understand what happened to them and what is healthy. The book also gets into sexual assault and helps kids to open up and share their experiences and to understand consent. While this book is recommended for ages 10+, child survivors of sexual assault are more likely to begin needing to know this information at an earlier age. Follow your child's lead with this. If they are displaying sexualized behavior, seeking out sexual material, or asking questions about sexual things, they're ready to talk about it and it's better to help your children understand than to shut it down and leave them to explore on their own in secrecy.

Your child may have a wide range of feelings as you go through this process. You don't have to go through this alone. Reach out to resources like CASARC, Bayview Mental Health, TALK Line Family Support Center, and SFWAR.