How to Protect Your Kids from Sexual Abuse
By Julie Lowe, TGC.
Parents, educators, caring adults, and the church have grown more alert to the need to teach kids tangible ways to stay safe from abuse. Since concerned adults like you and me can’t always be with children, we must educate them in concrete, child-appropriate safety skills.
Every child is different. Some are naturally more cautious or distrustful; others are carefree risk-takers. It’s helpful to know your children and to shape your conversations around what they need to hear and learn. But whatever your child’s bent, here are six ways you can begin to train them in safety skills.
1. Teach kids developmentally appropriate views of sex, sexuality, and their bodies.
Kids who know correct body parts and God’s view and design for sex (including the boundaries he’s given) are better prepared to identify sinful corruptions of his design. Kids don’t need to grow up thinking sex is shameful or bad but a good part of God’s creation intended for a man and a woman in marriage. The more kids have a positive, accurate view of sexuality, the more likely they’ll be able to spot the counterfeits.
2. Instruct kids to respect their own bodies and other people’s.
At a minimum, respect means not touching other people’s genitals, or “private parts.” When talking to kids about this rule, don’t be afraid to be specific. Use scientific names for genitalia. Kids should also know it’s wrong for anyone else (aside from a doctor) to touch them in these areas.
Respect also means you don’t do or say things about others’ bodies that may make them uncomfortable. Give kids concrete examples, and role play the difference between loving/respectful and unloving/inappropriate treatment of bodies. For example, you might say, “Always ask permission to give someone a hug. You don’t hug someone who doesn’t want to be hugged. You should never ask others to remove their clothing, and they should never ask you to remove your clothes. You don’t make joking comments about someone’s body. You don’t show others pictures, video, or movies that have naked bodies, or include inappropriate talk about bodies.
Related Posts
Tags
Share This
