We’re still teaching kids prevention like it’s protection.

We’re still teaching prevention like it’s protection.

This is such an important conversation

I really relate to the kind of silence Kristin Jones is talking about and how it shaped much of my life, too.

Like Kristin, I tried to control every part of my life. I see that now, after years of therapy. I thought if I stayed busy, stayed sharp, stayed strong, I could outrun what happened. I also filled my days with anything that might silence internal noise or distract from the shame I carried.

Looking back, I was still blaming myself. I believed that if I failed at anything, I was just proving the abuse was my fault, that they got me, and I was tainted for life. Part of me still wrestles with that. But I know now, it’s not true. And I’m safe enough today to let go of that lie.

The parenting part struck me as I’m also a dad to two grown kids. And while raising them, I campaigned similar messages she talks about:

• “Don’t let anyone touch you.”
• “Be careful.”
• “You can talk to me anytime.”
• “Scream and fight back.”

To no fault of our own, our intentions come from a place of love and care, and as any good parent, we want to protect them. But those words also carry weight. When a child is hurt, and they’ve been told it was their job to stop it, they can end up blaming themselves.

That’s why this TED Talk matters.

Because, perhaps, we’re still not getting it right. We’re still teaching prevention like it’s protection. We’re still placing the burden of safety on kids instead of on the people who do harm. And in doing so, we’re inadvertently giving shame a place to live.

This work at Mighty AK is about shifting that narrative. Survivors don’t need more reminders of what they “should have” done. They need to hear, clearly and often, that what happened to them wasn’t their fault. They need community, not correction.

I, too, don’t want my kids to carry what I did, whatever it is in life. That is how I raised them, to know that if something ever happens, the shame doesn’t belong to them. And they have always known they can come to me and be met with care, not questions.

This video was a good watch, and damn, it’s all heart! It names what many of us grew up hearing and unpacks how those messages shaped us. I believe we’re serious about ending cycles of abuse, so we need to start right here, with the words we use, the beliefs we carry, and the shame we no longer pass down.

Let’s stop handing children the burden of preventing their own abuse.

The responsibility was never theirs.

The blame belongs with the abuser. Every single time.

If you are ready to start sharing your story and speaking up, I recommend reading a previous article I wrote to learn what it means to reclaim your story. It addresses some of the points I discuss in this video response.

Scott Slone
Founder of Mighty AK