In the midst of all of the discussion about U.S. Sen. Al Franken’s resignation and allegations of sexual misconduct, we believe it is a good opportunity for a teaching moment.

The past few months we have heard women come forward sharing information about men in roles of power who made unwanted advances toward them in varying degrees. Some of the women responded to their alleged perpetrators after the behavior; some didn’t. Some brought their allegations to the forefront a few years after the incidents actually occurred, while others were decades later.  Whatever the case, this is an opportunity to teach children starting at a young age that if someone does something to them that makes them feel uncomfortable, to say so — right away — not only to the person who committed the act, but to a trusted adult as well. Teach them boundaries.

Help your children practice role-playing out loud what to say if there’s a problem. Get used to talking about these issues as a parent and help your child get used to talking about them. When both parent and child are comfortable talking about these issues, the child will be more likely to feel able to talk openly and honestly to you when an issue may arise. It is crucial to keep the lines of communication open.

On the opposite side of the coin, teach children to treat everyone around them with respect, whether it’s their friends, their future significant other, an acquaintance or a total stranger.

As adults, it is important to model positive behavior on these issues as well. The lessons learned as a child can stick with someone for a lifetime.