Child Abuse: Practical Ways To Protect Your Children

Child Abuse: Practical Ways To Protect Your Children



4 years ago

~7.8 mins read

Child sexual abuse has been in existence for long with most of them being swept under the carpet. Recently, voices are coming out to condemn this inhuman act which has a long lasting destructive effect on the kids. The bulk of responsibility lies on the parents to protect their children from experiencing this devastating act.

Facts about Child Sexual abuse:

Approximately 1 in 6 boys and 1 in 4 girls are sexually abused before the age of 18, according to Center For Disease Control.

90 percent of children who are victims of abuse know their abuser, according to government's report.

60 percent of child victims are sexually abused by the people a family trusts.

Nearly 40 percent of child victims are abused by older or more powerful children.

These facts are horrendous right?

But they give insight into sexual abuse. Parents have a great role to play in the life of these vulnerable young ones.

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In fact parents are mandated to protect their young ones from sexual predators.

Practical ways to Protect your child from Sexual Abuse:


1. Educate Yourself as a Parent

Being a parent requires being a teacher, a guardian, a friend, a leader and a protector. So you must be those to your kids. For you to be those you need to know a lot about many topics in order to always teach, guide and protect your children from dangers. You must educate yourself about sexual abuse, signs etc.

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You need to read a lot as a parent so as to have wealth of knowledge the kids can always draw from. When you are well grounded in a lot of topics, you will be well equipped to guide, teach and protect your kids from sexual abuse.

2. Be Friends to your Kids

In as much as your kids should have respect for you, they should see you as a friend, someone they can openly talk about anything with and not being judge or reprimanded. You must leave the door open for communication. Listen more than you speak. When the door of communication is open, you can freely talk about anything with your kids, and they too can as well tell you about anything.

3. Teach Your Children Sex Education

Some parents find it hard to teach their kids about sex education.

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They wonder if it will expose them the more. But reverse is the case. When you don't teach them about this, their peers will teach them, and they are going to teach them the wrong ones. Teach them about their genital organs. What use it is for at a particular point in time. Do not be shy to tell them, or they will shame you. Teach them these as early as they start to understand things.

4.

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Spend Time with Your Kids

The hustling environment we find ourselves in this world has made it hard for parents to spend time with their kids. That is something you must work hard as a parent to do. Spend time as often as your schedule can permit you with your kids. Make out time for them. Know about their worries and their fears. Play with them. These help them to feel love and not crave for that love outside of home. It gives no room for any abuser to penetrate when they know the kids are always with the parents.

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Try to provide for them materially as much as you can so as not to be enticed by material things outside of home. Abusers mostly take advantage of the parents absence and hurt these young ones. They try to give them that love and attention which the parents aren't giving them. If you must adjust your work or business so as to have more time with your kids, do it.

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It is worth it.

5. About the Stranger

This is the most important part. Everybody except the kids biological parents is a suspect. It doesn't mean that you should be open about showing or talking about suspecting everybody around your kids. But do not trust to leave them alone in a house or lonely place where you can't see what the person is doing with your kids. Be it your relatives or friends, be vigilant about how they play with your kids. Keep an eye on how anybody who is neither the mother nor father of a child showers affection on your kids. Do not expose your kids to too many of your adult friends.

6.

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Talk to Them about Child Abuse

Do not hesitate to talk to these young ones about sexual abusers. Let them know who to be with, where and when and know how to avoid being alone with someone not their biological parents. Teach them how to know when one is crossing the boundaries with them or where not to touch them. Teach them words not appropriate to listen to.

7. Teach them Resistance

Teach them how to resist, and report someone trying to touch them sexually. Teach them to be rude and mean when one tries to touch or talk to them in certain ways. Teach them how not to be afraid. Let them understand that if they report to you anyone trying to touch their organs or certain body parts that you will love them the more.

8.

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Keep an Eye on Them

Lastly, keep an eye on your kids. Who are their friends both on and offline? How do I mean? Know very well who their friends are physically, where they are at a particular time. Do not let them be in a secluded area a with other kids if you can't see what they are doing. Avoid them going to see friends when you can't be there to watch who is with them and what they are doing. Restrict them from so many TV programs and Internet access. Do not give your child phone with internet facility at a younger age. These predators are millions on the Internet and could disguise themselves. But be reasonable not to be too restrictive and over protective.

Know that you will be held accountable if these vulnerable ones are sexually abused.

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It really means you have failed them, failed in your duty as a parent and failed the society.

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