Answer:
A protective environment is one where children are protected from violence and abuse. For an environment to be protective, children must feel safe in their home, in their school, and in their community at large. In a protective environment, children feel they can trust their parents, teachers, and other adults in their community to protect them from potential threats. The child knows their rights and, should they be mistreated, they are comfortable reporting these mistreatments to a parent or other trusted adult.
A nurturing environment must first meet all the requirements of a protective environment. An environment cannot be nurturing if the child is not safe from abuse and violence. But to be truly nurturing, an environment must do far more than simply protect a child from harm. In a nurturing environment, parents are responsible and actively attentive to their child’s physical and emotional needs. The child trusts that their family will take care of them, and they understand that they are loved. Family members spend quality time together and get to know each other’s personalities. The child feels free to explore and discover who they are, trusts that their family will accept them, and feels free to express emotions without fear of shame or guilt.