DEAR ABBY: When I was a young teenager, I suffered sexual abuse at the hands of my brother, "Carl." I am now worried about his daughter.
My niece is now nearly the age I was when he committed this crime against me. Because I want to protect her, I want very badly to ask him if he would ever do that to his daughter. However, every time I start to ask, I stop myself because I don't want to rock the boat.
Would it be wrong or rude of me to ask him if he has ever touched his daughter the way he touched me? -- CONCERNED FOR HER SAFETY IN TEXAS
DEAR CONCERNED: It would be a mistake to ask, because if he is molesting his daughter, he would not be forthcoming about it. What you should do is discuss what happened to you with Carl's wife, so she can be on the lookout for any signs of sexual abuse in their daughter.