Child abuse is a major issue which can have drastic and lifelong repercussion. Almost every other day we hear stories about a child being touched inappropriately. A large number of children subjected to this are below six years of age .
Parents have a major role in letting their children know about things like these. Its understandable that parents might feel a little awkward discussing about it with their children but it is necessary to ensure that your kid tells you the first time he/she is touched inappropriately. There have been cases where children have been abused for months, even years and due to fear, they weren't able to tell their parents.
Many a times, these innocent children are not able to understand what kind of touch is good and what's not. This is where communication becomes vital.
Good touch: A mother hugging a child or a doctor examining a child or a grandparent kissing their child are all examples of a good touch. Any touch that makes the child happy or secure is good.
Bad touch: A touch that makes a child afraid, uncomfortable or nervous is a bad touch. For example, if anyone touches your child and tells him or her not to tell anyone, it is a bad touch. Make sure you develop a safe space with your child so that he/she can get the courage to talk about it.
Moreover, these are the ways with which you can teach your child about good and bad touch-
Tell your child about the parts which should not be touched by anyone. Teach your child that no one has the right to touch them if they don’t want to be touched. Tell them that certain parts of their body are private. Tell them that these are the parts which only mummy or daddy can touch.
Explain using a swimsuit: Explain to your child that the parts of his or her body that are covered by a swimsuit are extremely private that's why they have to be covered. So, no one should ever touch him or her there.
Teach them to say NO: Explain to your child that they have the right to tell someone not to touch them or some parts of their body. They can and they should say ‘No’ if they feel even remotely uncomfortable by anyone's touch.
Talk to them in a normal manner: While this is a serious topic, it is important that a child has no fear when it comes to telling his/her parents about any inappropriate touching. This is possible if you stay normal while talking about these things. Don't talk in an unusually low voice while teaching your kid about good and bad touch.
Try Using books or videos to explain: Now a days there are many good books and videos available on this topic. Books contain good illustrations making it easy to explain and understand. Videos on this topic are also freely available on YouTube. Use these resources to explain things in a much simpler and easier manner.
Teach them to run if they feel threatened: If a child feels threatened by someone, they should run away from that place as soon as they can and should immediately inform their parents about it.
