HOW CAN YOU PROTECT YOUR CHILD FROM SEXUAL ASSAULT?
Child Sexual abuse is a form of child abuse in which an adult or older adolescent uses a child for Sexual stimulation.
- Victims are both male and female
- Age Group (0 – 18)
- Crosses all Socio-Economic and Ethnic Groups
- Child Marriage (is most prevalent form of sexual abuse and exploitation of girls).
- Incest (sexual abuse by a family member) can have more serious and long term psychological trauma, especially in the case of parental incest).
Child sexual abuse can happen to children of any age, race or socioeconomic group. There is no foolproof way to protect your child but you can reduce the risk of sexual abuse occurring.
- Be involved in your child’s life.
- Demonstrate interest in their day to day lives (ask them what they did today).
- Get to know the people in your child’s life ( Know who your child is spending time with)
- Choose caregivers (house-help) carefully (i.e. screen the caregivers)
- Know the warning signs (of sexual abuse)
- Teach your child about boundaries (Your child should know that no one should Touch them or make them feel Uncomfortable).
- Let the child know they won’t get in trouble for talking to you.
Presented by Angela Lamb-Onayiga
Manager of Child Protection Services, Hennepin County Department of Social Services, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA.
This is the concluding part of the presentation made at Delightsome Lands seminar, which took place at Ogba, Lagos, Nigeria, on Saturday, 30 June, 2018.