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May I Kiss You?
Talk to Your Teen About Date Rape
By Tamekia Reece
Perfect Timing
All the talking in the world about date rape won't do any good if your teen isn't listening. Choosing the right time to discuss it with your child is just as important as what you say during the conversation. "The beginning process should begin when they go to school," Domitrz says. This doesn't mean you'll be discussing the term "date rape," though. "You're discussing proper touching of other students, what the special parts of the body are, why those parts are special and how all people don't have the right to touch your child there," Domitrz says. This will make it much easier to have the date rape conversation later on down the road.
Here are a few more pointers to make it easier:
- DON'T wait too long. By putting off this important conversation you give your child the chance to learn incorrect information from friends or learn nothing at all, which can lead to dangerous dating practices.
- DO have their attention. One of the worst mistakes you could make is to try to talk about date rape when your teen's attention is focused elsewhere. When he's playing the latest Xbox game is not a time he'll be zoned in to what you're saying. Do your teen and yourself a favor: Have this discussion when you're both able to be as attentive as possible.
- DON'T play it up. When you do decide to talk with your teen, don't try to skirt around the issue by bringing up playful, less serious things first. Acquaintance rape is a serious issue and the conversation with your teen should be handled that way. If you approach the topic as if it were a joke, chances are your teen will do the same.
- DO know it's better late than never. If for whatever reason your child is already an older teen and you haven't spoken with him or her about date rape, don't feel doing so now would be pointless. Even if he or she has learned dating habits that could be dangerous from friends or personal experience, you may still be able to teach them about date rape. Even if your teen is 18 and headed to college, you can still sit her down and have a chat. It's never too late.
