Every parent wants to protect their child from harm, but is there a way to prepare young children to be safe from sexual abuse without frightening them or damaging their innocence? Detective Diane Obbema, a 30-year veteran of law enforcement, offers critical choices that parents can make to fortify the protective boundaries around their children in her new book, Protecting Innocence. According to statistics, 93% of child victims know their molester, with most never telling anyone about their victimization. Understanding that children are most vulnerable to sexual assault between the ages of 7 and 13, Detective Obbema draws from her specialized training and investigation of hundreds of child sexual assault cases to give parents the skills they need to navigate this sensitive topic with their children before they reach this vulnerable age group and are approached by a molester. This book will help you ... - Make critical choices for protective boundaries around your child. - Be comfortable in parent-child conversations about private parts. - Teach respect for their bodies and to expect respect from others. - Ease your child's fears and build stronger confidence. - Recognize red flags indicating inappropriate interest in your child. - Understand a child's heart and mind when pressured by someone. - Build a trust that encourages your child to confide in you. - Learn 10 ways to be a more approachable parent. Detective Obbema also gives parents insight on how molesters operate by providing glimpses of what transpires in the interrogation room. By using illustrations from her real-life cases, she makes a powerful impression on parents to help them understand what happens inside a child's heart and mind when pressured by an offender. Parents learn where children are vulnerable to molesters and practical steps to thwart potential exploitation. Parents learn the power they have to foster respect for the human body within the home, and what negative influences they will need to confront. Protecting Innocence offers actual scripts for parent-child conversations to help parents feel comfortable in addressing topics many of them avoid. These dialogs teach the child proper names for intimate parts, what touches are okay and not okay, how to be assertive in uncomfortable situations, how to recognize and respond to internal feelings that warn of danger, and understanding good vs. bad secrets. These conversations help build a foundation of trust and openness between parent and child. This greater security gives a child confidence to talk with his or her parent any time... about anything.
About the Author: Diane Obbema, a 30-year law enforcement veteran, specialized for 12 years as a detective investigating crimes against children in Colorado's First Judicial District. The first woman ever named Top Recruit in a Jefferson County Law Enforcement Academy class, Deputy Obbema worked several years on patrol before being selected to pioneer the DARE program in Jeffco schools in 1990. After returning to patrol, she was promoted to Detective in 1998 and assigned to the Crimes Against Children Unit, where she investigated over 400 cases of physical and sexual abuse. Det. Obbema earned wide recognition for her notable work in several high-profile crimes. She was a key investigator of the Columbine High School shootings, earning commendations for her work to determine exact events in the school library where 10 children were murdered and many others severely injured or traumatized. Her central role in the Evergreen "Rebirthing" Homicide case - where a child was killed by her therapists - received national and international coverage. An accomplished speaker and presenter, Det. Obbema has instructed university students, child welfare professionals, and law enforcement officers throughout Colorado. Det. Obbema served as a Crime Scene Technician, Field Training Instructor, and a P.O.S.T. Certified Law Enforcement Academy Instructor. Det. Obbema was honored as the 2006 Employee of the Year for her excellence in directing the department's Sex Offender Registry. Her interrogation skills were used in obtaining confessions from suspects in the nation's first multi-jurisdictional Internet Predator Sting. Her testimony before the Colorado Senate helped tighten sex offender registration laws. Three times Det. Obbema was awarded commendations by the District Attorney's Office for her investigations of child abuse cases. She received the Hero's Award from the Jefferson County Children's Advocacy Center. She served as Chair and 10 year member of the Jefferson County Child Protection Team. Det. Obbema received her agency's Professional Conduct Award, Life Saving Award, and the prestigious Sheriff's Distinguish Service Medal. She has volunteered as an Investigative Associate with International Justice Missions, a human rights agency that intervenes on behalf of child victims of sex trafficking. Det. Obbema is available to speak on child sexual abuse investigation and prevention. Contact her at www.ProtectingInnocence.com