Keeping An Eye Out: Unsafe Adult Behaviour

Most adults behave safely around children, respecting their wishes and privacy and being open to comments if they do anything to cause concern. However, sometimes adult behaviour around children is troubling and unsafe.
Some Of the Signs, Or Things To Be Watchful Of, Include Adults Or Teenagers Who:
  • Insist on hugging, touching, kissing, tickling, wrestling with or holding a child even when the child doesn’t want the attention or affection
  • Ask lots of questions about the sexuality of a child or teenager, IE: repeatedly talking about their developing body or intruding on normal teenage dating
  • Create opportunities to get time alone with little opportunity for any other person to intrude or intervene
  • Spend most of their time with children or young teens and seem to have no interest in being with people of their own age
  • Repeatedly intrude on a child’s privacy when it’s not necessary
  • Make you feel ‘shut out’ as a parent, or isolate your child
  • Talk about inappropriate sexual behaviour in front of children or call them sexual names, even if done in a joking manner.
  • Regularly offer to babysit lots of children for free or take them alone on overnight outings or holidays
  • Buy children or teens expensive gifts, or give them money for no apparent reason
  • Allow children or teenagers to consistently get away with inappropriate behaviours
  • Seem to demonstrate excessive control over a child, like not letting them make their own decisions or be involved in activities outside the home
  • Visit children’s chat rooms online or download child pornography
  • Want their adult partner to dress like a child or role-play as one during sex.

You Can Contact Us

​​ If you know someone who behaves in any of these ways, they might have a problem.

These signs could be serious, so if you see them, talk to someone that can help. Contact us.

​Most adults behave safely around children, respecting their wishes and privacy and being open to comments if they do anything to cause concern. However, sometimes adult behaviour around children is troubling and unsafe.