Sleepovers

(from "Lady With a Lot of Questions" article, Nov/Dec. 2000)

6. “Did you allow your children to go to sleepovers or play outings at a friend's house? If so, how did you assure yourself that she would not be subjected to abuse of any kind—especially sexual? I have always heard that most molestation is perpetrated by a family friend or relative that is trusted.”
You heard right. If you read our mail you would NEVER let your child have sleep-overs with other kids. When our porn article came out, we got a flood of letters from adults who were exposed to porn while sleeping over with a good friend or relative, or had friends over to their house that brought it with them. These adults say that from the age of six or seven, when they first saw the pictures, they were addicted and have been all their lives. We also receive so many letters from people who for years were molested by their brother's friends while the family slept. The little girls were always too sleepy and confused to be able to tell what was happening to them every Friday night when big brother had his friends over. Parents never knew why little Suzy was such a problem when she turned 13 years old. I will repeat: anyone that has ever counseled or read as many letters as we do would NEVER open their children up to this possibility. It is too common and too terrible.