Child abuse is defined as any physical, sexual, emotional behavior that has existed in every culture and country throughout human history and negatively affects the growth and development of the child. Child sexual abuse can be seen all over the world, and as the issue comes to light, it is understood that its frequency is quite high. The act of sexual abuse, which often remains hidden, can cause significant physical and psychological damage to the child in the short and long term. Parents need to be informed about child sexual abuse and be able to provide accurate information to their children. In this sense, the most important step is to inform our children against sexual abuse and support their empowerment. As it is known, only 10% of the people who commit sexual abuse are strangers to the child, while the rest are people the child knows and sees around him every day. Of course, we cannot protect our children against sexual abuse by locking them at home, isolating them from their friends, and separating them from the outside world. But we can equip and strengthen them with some information that will protect them from becoming victims. Parents don't talk much about body safety with their children. They think their children are too young to talk about this. We can strengthen our children against sexual abuse and protect them against this danger with the ten items listed below.
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We should name our children's body parts as early as possible and talk to them about our bodies..
Let's choose appropriate words when naming these body parts. Regular use of these words puts children at ease and opens ways to talk to you comfortably about this issue in case of an inappropriate situation.
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Make sure to teach children that some body parts are private
Be sure to teach children that some body parts are special. Private body parts are special because they cannot be shown to everyone. Explain to your children that mom and dad can see them naked, but people outside the home can only see them with their clothes on.
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Teach your children the limits of their bodies.
Tell your child that no one can touch their private parts. Also let them know that other people's private parts are untouchable. Let's not forget that sexual abuse often begins with forcing someone else to touch them.
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Teach your child that body-related secrets are not normal.
Most abusers force the child to keep the abuse secret. They do this in an affectionate way, for example, "I really like playing with you, but if you tell me that you are someone else, he won't let me play with you" or they can be threatening; "This is our secret, if you tell anyone, I'll tell them this game was your idea and then they'll get mad at you." Explain to your children that no matter what, body secrets are not okay and that if someone forces your child to do so, they should inform their parents immediately
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Tell your child that their private parts should not be photographed in any way. strong> It should not be forgotten that unfortunately there are also pedophiles on social media who take pictures of children and try to spread them for commercial purposes. This is a very common problem and your child may be at risk, too. Teach our children never to take pictures of their private parts or post them on social media.
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Teach your child how to get out of inappropriate or scary situations. Some children are reluctant to say no to adults or older children. Tell them that they can say NO to their elders and that they can say no when they sense an inappropriate or unpleasant situation.
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Define a keyword that your children can use in an inappropriate situation.
When the children are a little older, Determine a keyword they can use and ask them to use it to inform you when they feel unsafe around strangers at home.
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It is not a punishing situation for your children when they tell a secret about their body. tell. Children are often in difficult situations They say that they cannot tell anyone anything to avoid being left behind. Often the abuser exploits this fear. Explain to children that they will not get into any trouble if they tell a secret about their bodies.
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Tell them that they may sometimes like physical touch - tickling. Specially state that what is described here is secret touching.
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Inform that all body touching rules also apply to acquaintances. As your mother and father, we can touch your private parts for cleaning purposes, but no one else can touch them.
Knowledge empowers; Of course, sexual abuse cannot be prevented with the 10 points we explained above, but at least these points can be talked about with children. We can sensitize our children by discussing this issue, especially during bedtime or bath time.
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