It’s a new year – time to update your family code of conduct!

A family code of conduct is a pre-determined set of values around bodies and boundaries that can go a long way toward protecting your kids from sexual abuse. It can help kids understand what acceptable and unacceptable behavior is, help them make informed decisions, and ultimately avoid dangerous situations.

In order for you to help you figure out what those pre-determined values are, we have created a Family Code of Conduct for you to fill out – as a family. This should be a living, breathing document that you should constantly go back to and review. Some boundaries will need to change or you may need to add new guidelines as your family grows.

You’ll find in our sample Family Code of Conduct, we start with talking about things like how you treat others. Then we help you expand into situations that might prove tricky for kids, or for you. Things like playdates or hanging out with friends, how you handle when others want to take photos of your children AND share them on social media, guidelines for sleepovers, babysitter boundaries and ground rules, internet usage and safety in your home and while at a friends house and even how are you evaluating after-school programs, summer camps and even lessons to make sure your kids are safe.

Anticipating these situations and talking through them with your children can make you all feel safer. They will have a better understanding of why your family values are important and you will find you won’t have to say “because I told you so.”