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Keeping children safe
It is important to teach children how to try to protect themselves from difficult and dangerous situations. Parents cannot always be with their children, so, even if the child is sensitive, it is best to teach them protective behaviours. While these behaviours do not guarantee that a child will never be subjected to abuse, it is important to impart them to all children. For some people, it is hard to talk to your child about sexual assault, but it is as important as teaching them the road rules.
Protective Behaviours
 It is best to teach children how to protect themselves as soon as they are old enough to understand.
Tell children they have the right to feel safe all the time. Help them to reconise what feels safe and what feels uncomfortable.
Help them to understand what is appropriate and inappropriate touching. It is better to use the correct words for the various parts of the body.
'Sexual Assault is when a person touches your private parts like your breasts, your vagina or your penis, or tries to kiss you in a sloppy way.'
. Help your children to trust their feelings, If they feel funny in the tummy, if their knees shake, or if they feel like running away – then they should trust this feeling and realise something is wrong. Theyshould go somewhere safe, and then tell someone.
. Beware! It is seldom ‘Stranger Danger!’
'It CAN be someone you know.' 'You do not have to keep a secret if it is a bad secret and you do not have to be 'nice’ to adults who are trying to do something bad to you.' 'Not ALL adults can be trusted'. 'You must tell someone, if you feel a 'no feeling’ or a 'bad feeling.’ .'
Emphasise that nothing is so awful that you can’t tell Mummy or Daddy or someone you trust. Let your child choose a network of five people outside the home, who they feel they could talk to about something difficult or scary. (Let them choose.)
Stress that if anyone ever touches them in a way that makes them feel uncomfortable - they should not feel guilty about it but should rather tell someone they trust straight away.
Instil in the child the need to keep telling until they find someone who does believe them.
Trust the child’s instincts about who they feel unsafe with. A child should learn to believe in him/herself and trust his/her feelings!
ASCA's patron, Professor Freda Briggs delivered the 2005 AW Jones Foundation Oration in the Edler Hall at the University of Adelaide on 9 March 2005, entitled 'Every School’s Worst Nightmare: Child Sexual Abuse'.
Useful websites
The Centre of Knowledge on Healthy Child Development website puts information based on the best science available into the hands of parents, teachers and others in the community who can use it to improve outcomes for children. Future plans include delivering this information in customized packages to doctor's offices, classrooms, libraries and other locations that serve young people and their parents.
The Raising Children Network website is a website for Australian mothers, fathers, grandparents and anyone else who has responsibility for the care of children. Their aim is to meet the information needs of a wide range of users, from the just curious, to those looking for assistance with particular problems or issues, or those wanting to explore the science behind modern thinking on the care of children.
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