There is little public awareness of the fact that children feel they are not sexually safe in their own neighbourhoods. Media reports of the rape of a 12-year-old girl on her way to school in Clondalkin, Dublin, shortly before Easter deeply affected schoolchildren. Some of the girls I worked with in sixth classes spoke after that incident and said they were fearful that the same thing could happen to them. Let me say immediately that I am not for one moment suggesting that any teacher should raise the issue of rape with sixth-class pupils. When children need adult reassurance, and when they feel safe to do so, they will raise the issue themselves. They will talk openly about their fears - and sometimes they will also reveal bad personal experiences.

Let me give you an example. I began a lesson on feelings: "I'm going to read you a little story about Sarah and her mum. It's very short. I want you to listen carefully because when I finish I want you to tell me what feelings you think Sarah and her mum had, and why. "Does everyone understand what I want you to do?"

Then I continued: "Sarah has spent the last 10 minutes looking in the mirror before going out. She arranges her hair this way and that. "She puts her hand to her forehead to cover a pimple. She pulls at her big brother's sweatshirt to make it seem more loose. "Sarah's mum appears on the scene and smiles. `Sure you have nothing to worry about Sarah - you're gorgeous.' " (This exercise appears on student sheet number 6 of the junior cycle resource materials for relationships and sexuality education.)

The question, "How does Sarah's mum feel?", elicits adjectives such as proud, worried, happy, happy and sad, anxious, worried, angry etc. "Why do you think she feels that way?" brought out suggestions that Sarah's mum was proud and happy that she had reared such a lovely daughter. The explanation for why her mum could be angry was that Sarah was too full of herself, spending so much time in front of the mirror.

An interesting discussion took place about happy-and-sad feelings. The girls clearly understood that people can have mixed feelings. Part of mum could be happy and another part could be sad or worried. Asked if girls their age could have mixed feelings, they agreed that you might be all excited about meeting a boy and at the same time you could be quaking inside.

I never cease to be amazed at the understanding such young children have about relationships. "A lot of you thought mum might be worried," I said. "I wonder why you think that?" The answers included "because she took her brother's sweatshirt" and "she might be worried about her meeting a fella" - which brought up issues of honesty and trust in relationships. "Is there anything else she might be worried about?" Hands up all over the place. "She's worried that she won't be safe when she goes out."

"Yes, She could be raped." "That's what I was going to say." "A girl in Clondalkin was raped on her way to school." "Sounds like some of you might be worried too," I suggested, and got widespread agreement. "Could you tell mum or dad how you feel?" I was most disappointed that the majority felt they couldn't. "Miss, I couldn't even ask me ma what it meant. Me and my friend looked up rape in the dictionary."

I explained what rape means. They were all aware that you should not talk to strangers. Asked what they could do to stay safe, they agreed that children are unlikely to be at risk if they walk to school with friends and do not take lifts, even from a neighbour, unless a parent has given specific permission.

Despite taking these precautions, three of the girls had had a frightening experience. They were walking home from school together when a white-haired man stopped them and asked would they do a little job for him.

Believing he was old and wanted some messages from the shop, they asked what he wanted them to do. "I'll give you a fiver if you give me a wank," he said. The girls immediately ran away with the man shouting after them, "I'll have to do it myself."

The girls told all their friends about "the pervert". Only two of them told a parent, and none of them alerted a teacher.

Silence, instigated by the fear of telling a parent or teacher, puts children who are fearful of being molested at risk.