Coffee County Children's
Advocacy Center

Research shows that teaching children correct terms for private body parts can help prevent child sexual abuse (CSA). Parents can protect children from CSA by providing knowledge and teaching correct terms, such as “penis,” “scrotum,” “vulva” and “vagina.” Knowing the correct terminology for genitals is the cornerstone of successful CSA prevention and provides the foundation for subsequent sex education, as well as facilitating disclosure, investigation, and prosecution after CSA occurs. As the greatest influencers of their children’s behavior and decisions about sex, parents must take the necessary steps to teach the correct vocabulary for genitals. Children need to receive CSA prevention education and learn correct terms for genitals as early as possible. 

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Fact sheets 

Please review the fact sheets below to learn about the research showing that parents need to teach children correct terms for private body parts to help prevent CSA. 

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