Committee for Children Blog

The Hot Chocolate Talk: The Discussion Every Parent Needs to Have

| By: Kelly Doscher
child abuse prevention resources, parenting, parents, advocacy, second step, hot chocolate talk

Child sexual abuse thrives on silence. Have the talk today.

Since 1979, Committee for Children has been dedicated to fostering the safety and well-being of children. Through our decades of advocacy, research, and development, one thing rings true time and time again: parents who talk openly and often to children about sexual abuse help to keep kids safe.

Now, we’re introducing the Hot Chocolate Talk, our initiative that will demonstrate to parents what to say and do to protect kids from predators. It centers on an important yet uncomfortable conversation that we’re encouraging families to have over a nice cup of cocoa, so they can discuss these difficult issues in a warm, caring atmosphere.

Tips, Tools, and Resources

Our Hot Chocolate Talk is designed to create a setting to help families establish simple safety rules and know the signs of sexual abuse. At the heart of this endeavor is our new free Child Abuse Prevention Resources page. Clear and concise, this page includes a script for parents to follow, tips for talking to kids at certain ages, and help with dealing with the natural discomfort parents may feel. You’ll also find links to more comprehensive information on our website, as well as resources for those who need immediate help.

Normalizing this conversation makes it harder for the problem to exist in the shadows.

Have the Talk

Child sexual abuse is scary. Talking about it shouldn’t be.

We understand that this can be a tough topic to broach. That’s why we encourage you to use these resources to help prevent child sexual abuse. When approached with warmth and love, conversations about safety don’t need to be scary.

Help Us Spread the Word

We’ve created a toolkit that provides sample communication pieces that educators, organizations, and individuals can use to share the Hot Chocolate Talk initiative via social media or email. Whether you use these tools in their entirety, in part, or simply for inspiration, we at Committee for Children encourage you to share these assets far and wide because together, we can make a difference.