These Kids Books about Abuse are an excellent tool to educate and empower our children when it comes to body safety and understanding consent.
It’s April, which means it’s officially National Child Abuse Prevention Month. This is a topic no parent wants to think about – no one wants to imagine their child ever being in an abusive situation, and most of us would rather just ignore the possibility altogether.
Unfortunately, it’s a big, bad world out there, and burying our heads in the sand serves no one. It is estimated that approximately 20% of girls and 8% of boys experience sexual abuse during their childhood. The most shocking part? Only 5% of the abusers are strangers; 95% of abusers are known to the child.
That’s why it’s important for us to tackle this topic head-on and start talking to kids about abuse as early as we can. If you’re wondering where to start, we recommend getting a good book. Kids books about abuse are written by experts and use child-friendly language and examples to help kids understand. It also makes a parent’s job easier, which is why we’ve gathered a list of the best kids books about abuse, suitable for all ages.
Important: Please consider your child’s age and overall cognitive development when choosing a book from this list. We understand that for some parents, this conversation may be triggering, especially if they’ve been through something similar in childhood. Please take the time to heal yourself, but remember that it’s imperative to educate our kids at the same time.
15 Best Kids Books about Abuse
1. Amazing You!
Author: Gail Saltz, Lynne Avril Cravath
Recommended Age: 3 years+
This isn’t exactly a book about body safety, but it is a book that introduces body parts to young children. It talks about the differences between boys and girls, what private parts are, and where babies come from. Of course, it doesn’t go into graphic detail, but it’s a good book to kickstart the conversation about bodies and the names of private parts.
2. My Body is Special and Private
Author: Adrianne Simeone
Recommended Age: 2 years+
If you’re looking for kids books about abuse targeted at very young children, this one is an excellent pick. It talks about what ‘private’ means, while also explaining the correct terms for private parts. It tells children about the rules to follow when it comes to private parts, making things clear for young kids. The best part is that proceeds from sales of this book go to The Mama Bear Effect, a non-profit working for the prevention of child sexual abuse.
3. Body Boundaries Make Me Stronger
Author: Elizabeth Cole
Recommended Age: 4 years+
In several cases, kids know that they feel uncomfortable, but they’re clueless about what to do about it. In this book, Nick shows us the way forward. He tells his parents, who educate him about body safety, consent, stranger danger and other topics. This is a great book to help kids understand boundaries and why they’re important.
4. My Body Belongs to Me: A Book about Body Safety
Author: Jill Starishevsky and Angela Padron
Recommended Age: 3 years+
When it comes to kids books about abuse, it helps when the text is child-friendly, having simple words and rhyming sentences. This is one such book, and it also explains things with an example of an adult touching a child inappropriately, and the child telling his parents right away because that’s what he’s been taught. Examples like these make it crystal clear to children about how to go about an uncomfortable situation.
5. My Body! What I Say Goes!
Author: Jayneen Sanders
Recommended Age: 3 years+
This is a great all-rounder book that covers multiple topics for early school-goers. It explains what private parts are, their correct names, and why no one is allowed to see or touch them. It also tells kids that they should always speak to a trusted person when they feel uncomfortable, explaining the concept of consent and personal space.
6. It’s MY Body
Author: Lory Freeman
Recommended Age: 2 years+
This book is another excellent addition to our list of kids books about abuse, particularly for young kids. The book helps kids take ownership of their body, and gives them the courage to say ‘it’s MY body’. It’s not a very detailed book and does not cover topics like private parts or abusive situations, but it’s a good one to help parents who’re struggling with starting this important conversation.
7. My Underpants Rule!
Author: Kate and Rod Power
Recommended Age: 3 years+
An easy way for kids to understand the idea of private parts is the area covered by their underpants, and this book does an excellent job of driving home that point through rhymes. It’s an ideal book for young children, since it doesn’t go into too much detail but still gets the message across.
8. Some Parts are NOT for Sharing
Author: Julie K. Federico
Recommended Age: 2 years+
Fish have bodies, so do cats and birds. We have bodies too, and some parts are for sharing, like our hands. However, some parts of our body are not to be shared, and the fish in this book explains what they are! This is a lovely book that makes it clear to young kids what parts of their bodies should be kept private i.e., a ‘no-trespassing’ zone.
Author:
Recommended Age: 4 years+
Imagine having a pet dragon – it would be so much fun, especially if he could breathe fire! You could teach him many tricks, but how would you teach him body safety? This fun book brings up this topic in a non-scary way, making it much more palatable to school-going kids. Through the dragon, kids learn about privacy, consent, safety and how to deal with uncomfortable situations.
10. Consent (for Kids!)
Author: Rachel Brian
Recommended Age: 5 years+
Consent can be hard to explain to young children, but Rachel Brian does it creatively through this book. It talks about consent like being the ruler of your kingdom, where the kingdom happens to be you! The interesting thing about this book is that it also talks about practicing consent ourselves and respecting another person’s decision when they say ‘No’.
11. I Said No! A Kid-To-Kid Guide to Keeping Private Parts Private
Author: Kimberly King
Recommended Age: 4 years+
Kids often find it hard to say ‘No’, especially when it’s an older person or a respected member of the community. This book teaches them to identify scenarios where they should say ‘No’, and it also empowers them to do so. Kids need to be able to identify what appropriate behavior is and what isn’t, so they can act accordingly. This amazing book is a winner of the Mom’s Choice Awards, and deservingly so.
12. No Means No!
Author: Jayneen Sanders
Recommended Age: 2 years+
Kids are often pressured into hugging someone they don’t want to, or having to tolerate their cheeks being pinched when they don’t like it. This book tells children that they don’t have to put up with any kind of touch if it makes them uncomfortable, even if the person doing it is someone they know. Since most predators are people known to the child, this is an important lesson for kids to learn early on.
13. I Love You So Much That…
Author: Kathy Picard
Recommended Age: 2 years+
These kids books about abuse don’t just teach children about body safety; they also explain why they need to learn. If your child thinks he’s being nagged into this conversation, try reading this book. It explains that this is all done out of love and because parents want their kids to be safe. The book also has some coloring pages, so that’s an added bonus!
14. Some Secrets Should Never Be Kept
Author: Jayneen Sanders and Craig Smith
Recommended Age: 3 years+
This book follows the story of Alfred, who has had a bad experience, but feels like he can’t tell anyone. The perpetrator is someone close to the family and respected in the community. Will anyone even believe Alfred? This book tackles some crucial questions that go through a child’s mind when he’s been abused, and it tells them that no matter what, they need to tell a trusted person about it – this should never be kept a secret. The book gives kids the courage to speak up, even when it’s against someone they know.
15. Please Tell: A Child’s Story About Sexual Abuse
Author: Jessie
Recommended Age: 3 years+
The last addition to our list of kids books about abuse is a rather heartbreaking one, but a brave one too. This book is written by Jessie, a nine-year-old girl who was sexually abused by her godfather. She puts all her thoughts into this book, using it as a way to tell other abused children out there that they’re not alone and that the abuse is not their fault. It’s a very effective book for children, since it’s written from the point of view of a child.
In addition to these kids books about abuse, you may also like to check out some free resources by the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC). They have a guide for adults, as well as a guide for kids aged 5-11, and they can both be used hand in hand to educate children about body safety.
Please remember that simply reading a book from this list and leaving it at that is not enough – you need to keep the conversation going. Read and re-read the book at regular intervals – you’ll find that your child often has a different question every time. Those questions are important; it’s how they make sense of their bodies and their privacy, and how they’ll get the courage to say ‘No’ whenever they find themselves in a bad situation.
Prerna is the founder, editor and owner of ‘Maa of All Blogs’, one of India’s Top Parenting Blogs. Besides being a certified Ashtanga Yoga instructor, she is also a fashion designer and economics graduate.
When she’s not busy running her home and business, she ensures she stays active – whether it’s running the half marathon, completing the Oxfam walk or climbing to the Everest base camp. Prerna enjoys wearing all her hats, and she does so in style!
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