Professor: Parents, kids should discuss assault

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — An Indiana University professor says the sexual assault scandal at Penn State University offers parents an opportunity to talk with their children about how to guard against such attacks.

Assistant Professor of Human Development and Family Studies Maria Schmidt says it’s important to help children understand there are bad people but that most people are good.

Schmidt says parents should not try to scare their children but should work discussions of how to handle uncomfortable or unsafe situations into everyday conversations.

She also says parents should teach kids that even trusted adults can turn out to be bad people.

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