Abuse is a topic that had been quite a taboo in the past, but thankfully, it is currently something that we all know we must bring to our community's attention. It's imperative that we do all we can to ensure that our children are aware of what is right and what is wrong so that they too, can protect themselves to the best of their abilities if we are not with them.
This is why it's so important to teach our children what they need to do to avoid sexual abuse to the best of their abilities.
Body awareness
Make it a point to start teaching your child about their body as early as possible. This will help them to become aware that it is something of value, and you can slowly integrate the idea of why it is so important that they don't let anyone touch their bodies. They need to understand the difference between affection and abuse, and this is something that you can only explain in stages as they get older, as a concept can be a bit confusing.
Always speak up
First and foremost, it's important for you as a parent to understand that there is always help and information available. Lawyers and specialists who work with cases of abuse at AbuseGuardian.com are always available to provide information and guidance. You'll actually find plenty of people that are more than willing to give you a hand in helping out, so reach out if you're not sure of where to start. Teach your child that they should not feel shame around you, so if anything ever happens to them, or if an incident seems strange to them, they can immediately come to you and let you know.
Make them understand they're not alone
It's important to gain your child's trust because it really is a sensitive topic. If they feel like they're always being judged by you or have too many expectations, they will be more wary about coming to you. You need to work on establishing a solid relationship with your children from an early age so that they can learn to always come to your for guidance and have trust in you and your opinions.
The importance of private parts and privacy
After having a conversation about body awareness and trust, it's important to get into details about their private parts and why they're different from the rest of the body. You must bring to their attention the importance of their private space in general, and what passes for comfortable and awkward, and downright wrong. To do this effectively, you have to break the barrier of shame or embarrassment that they may have about their private parts around you. You have to approach it in a way that allows them to understand what abuse is and why they need to be aware of it to take care of themselves and their bodies.
How to pick up the signs
As your child gets older, you need to slowly integrate the value of being able to read other people's behaviors. It doesn't have to be too complex. Teach them that talking to strangers is not advisable, that is anyone asks them to go somewhere alone, this is a red flag, and so on. If they notice someone always looking at kids and out of place, this too is a red flag. Anyone that gets too touchy with them is also a red flag.
Not to trust anyone
There is a fine line between being a forgiving and kind person, and being too trusting. You must teach your child that they simply cannot trust everyone. That it is important to only have a select number of people that you trust entirely, and that even those people would never cross the line and touch them inappropriately.
It's still not okay if it's another child
A huge misconception is that abuse only comes from adults. Teach your child that it is very valid if another child crosses the line when it comes to their body. Even if just with words. They should never allow anyone to objectify them and take it as a warning if someone talks about their body in an abusive way.
Self-defense
It's never too early to have your child take self-defense classes. This is important because they need to know and be confident enough to know that if they are ever caught in a dire situation, they will be able to fend for themselves and not submit to the abuse.
Abuse is a tricky topic to tackle, but if you follow the points mentioned above, you'll find that you will be allowing your child to become more aware of their surroundings. This advice will help them to value their bodies and take better care of themselves.
