HOW TO PROTECT YOUR CHILDREN FROM SEXUAL ABUSE

On a daily basis, there

are reports of children

being s*xually abused by

adults, some survived

this abuse, others were

left with scars while

some others have lost

their lives.

With the increased rate of

s*xual abuse on children, it is

time to talk about things that

parents can do to reduce the

risk of their children being abused.

Unfortunately, any child is at risk of s*xual abuse.

Hoping, denying and pretending that this can't

happen to your child is not lowering your child's risk

of being s*xually abused, and it does not help in any

way. The thought of your child being molested

s*xually is quite terrifying but its something that

every parent needs to face because knowledge is

power.

The following five safety tips is intended to give you

some ideas on what you can do to protect your

children from s*xual abuse.

1. Talk: Talk often with your child and set a tone of

openness. Talking openly and directly with your

child

teaches the child that it’s okay to talk to you when

they have questions. If your child comes to you with

concerns or questions, make time to listen and talk

to

them.

2. Teach: Teach your child key safety principles.

Teach children the names of their body parts so that

they have the language to ask questions and

express

concerns about those body parts. Let them know

some parts of their body are private and other

people

not be touching or looking at those private parts

unless they need to touch them to provide care. Let

your children know that if someone is touching them

or talking to them in ways that make them

uncomfortable that it shouldn’t stay a secret or if

someone tries to show the child their own private

parts, they should tell a trusted adult as soon as

possible.

3. Empower: Your child should know that he/she

has

the right to speak up if they are uncomfortable, or if

someone is touching them. Let your child know it’s

okay to say 'NO' even to adults they know and

family

members.

4. Implement: Implement Internet safety protocols,

and parental controls through platforms such as the

Google Family Safety Center. Work with older

children to set guidelines for who they can talk to

online, and what information can be shared. Also

monitor what they are exposed to on television.

5. Educate: Educate yourself about the warning

signs

of childhood s*xual abuse. Know what to look for,

and

the best way to respond.

Talking about s*xuality with your child should not be

something you talk about once and that's it, it

should

be a routine conversation