Here are some suggestions for protecting children from Sexual Abuse.

Source NAPCAN www.napcan.org.au

The 7 personal safety principles:

• Teach Children about touch. Most sexual abuse involves inappropriate touching or fondling of the child by the adult.  Children need to know how to identify when and how people can touch them, and when and how they can touch others.
• Teach Children to trust their feelings. Children have a keen natural sense when something is amiss. They must learn to trust all their feelings, whether good, bad or confusing.
• Teach Children when to say no to adults. Children are taught to be polite and obey adults. However, they must also have permission to say no to an adult if they need to protect themselves from an unpleasant situation
• Teach Children that they own their bodies. Children quickly learn the meaning of "mine" as it applies to toys, bikes etc. The right to make the same claim about their bodies and to decide when they want to be touched, and by whom, should be established early.
• Teach Children to leave an uncomfortable situation.Children need to be safe, and they should be taught to remove themselves as quickly as possible from any person who makes them feel uncomfortable or threatened.
• Teach Children about inappropriate secrets. Much sexual abuse depends on the child being persuaded, threatened or coerced, into not telling about the abuse. Children need to learn that secrets which frighten or hurt them should not be kept.
• Teach Children about support systems. Children should be helped to identify a number of people to whom they can turn to if they are touched in inappropriate ways. They should be taught to expect that adults will act to protect them and to keep on telling until they find someone who does.