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May I Kiss You?
Talk to Your Teen About Date Rape
By Tamekia Reece
Domitrz agrees. "If you just have one talk, over time their friends will have many talks and each time yours becomes weaker because it was only once," he says. "By having consistent talks over a long period of time, you're always reminding them, always in their head, instead of it being their friends."
As far as teaching protective behavior, Domitrz says it's fine to try to teach a teen how to defend himself or herself, but you shouldn't go overboard. Every date rape situation is different, and there is no step-by-step self-defense technique that will work each time.
Before you end the talk, Domitrz suggests you say the following to your child: "I will always be here for you." What does that mean? "Letting your child know that if they are ever in a date rape situation, they can come to you," he says. Russell says being there means accompanying the child to report the crime, telling the child it's not their fault and insisting on prosecuting. "Basically, it means backing up your child at every turn," she says. And that's one of the most important things parents can do for their child.
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