Dear Editor,
As Child Awareness Month ends, let this be a clear reminder to all parents and guardians: protecting our children isn’t limited to one month—it’s a 24/7, 365-day responsibility. Their safety, well-being, and innocence depend on our constant vigilance.
We must face a hard truth as a society: we are failing our children when we ignore the quiet voice inside us—the one that whispers, “Something isn’t right.”
According to the international child sexual abuse prevention organization Darkness to Light, 90% of children who are victims of sexual abuse know their abuser. Often, this abuser is someone close—a family member, friend, or someone in a position of trust. These statistics should not just disturb us; they should wake us up. They should force every parent, caregiver, and adult to stop and ask: Have I truly vetted the people around my children?
Far too often, children are left in the care of individuals who have not earned our trust. Some parents leave their children with an individual they’ve only just met. Others entrust their children to family members or friends whose behavior has raised concerns but who are still tolerated—often out of convenience or because their help is free.
In a world where child sexual abuse is often committed by someone the child knows, this is a dangerous gamble.
Let me be clear: no relationship, no convenience, and certainly no cost-saving is worth the price of a child’s safety, innocence, or life.
It is time we hold ourselves accountable. Believe it if your gut tells you something is off about someone—even if you can’t explain it. If your child says they don’t want to stay with a particular person, don’t dismiss it as bad behavior or moodiness. Listen. Investigate. Remove them from the situation. Your child trusts you to protect them, especially when they are brave enough to speak up.
Children are not equipped to protect themselves. That is our responsibility. And let me say this unequivocally: No adult should ever ask a child to keep a secret. If someone encourages your child to hide something from you, it is a red flag that cannot be ignored.
Child abuse prevention begins with awareness, but it is sustained by action. The Bahamas must become a place where children are safe not just in schools, churches, or public spaces—but in their homes, among their relatives, and under the watch of any adult in their lives. It starts with us trusting our instincts and prioritizing our children’s safety above all else.
Let this be the beginning of a national conversation on child protection. We need additional training, improved support systems, and the courage to assertively say no when something feels wrong. Our children are worth that—and so much more.
Sincerely,
Shervonne Cash Hollis
Child Protection Advocate and
Co-Founder, Save Our Children Alliance
