“Honey, you need to know how to protect yourself; never let anyone touch your private parts.” – This saying might sound familiar to many parents. However, are simple words of advice like these enough to equip children with the ability to protect themselves from violence and abuse?
Understanding Child Violence and Abuse
Child violence and abuse are pressing issues that seriously impact children’s physical and mental development. Violence can be physical, emotional, sexual, or neglect, while abuse often involves sexual assault.
Common Types of Violence and Abuse:
- Physical Violence: Hitting, scolding, torturing, locking up, restricting…
- Emotional Violence: Causing emotional trauma, damaging self-esteem, threatening, intimidating…
- Sexual Violence: Touching, kissing, sexual intercourse with children, enticing children to watch pornography…
- Neglect: Not providing adequate essential needs for children such as food, clothing, shelter, education…
Skills to Help Children Protect Themselves from Violence and Abuse
Parents need to equip their children with self-protection skills to help them feel confident and strong in all situations:
1. Skills to Recognize Violence and Abuse:
- Recognize dangerous behaviors: Help children distinguish between violent, abusive, and normal behaviors.
- Say “no” firmly: Teach children how to say “no” firmly when they feel scared or uncomfortable.
- Talk about feelings: Encourage children to share their feelings, thoughts, and what happened to them.
2. Self-Protection Skills:
- Run away: Teach children how to run away when in danger, find crowded places or trustworthy adults.
- Shout loudly: Teach children how to shout loudly, call for help when attacked or in danger.
- Fight back: Teach children how to defend themselves by hitting, kicking, or scratching the attacker to escape danger.
3. Skills to Seek Help:
- Remember emergency phone numbers: Teach children to remember the phone numbers of their parents, relatives, or emergency numbers like 911.
- Know how to seek help: Teach children how to seek help from trustworthy adults such as teachers, doctors, neighbors…
Hoa’s Story
Hoa, 7 years old, was always taught by her parents to be obedient and listen to adults. One day, on her way home from school, Hoa met a stranger. This person tempted Hoa with sweet words and offered her a gift. However, Hoa remembered her parents’ teachings, never to accept gifts from strangers. Hoa ran home and told her parents everything. Thanks to her vigilance and self-protection skills, Hoa escaped danger.
Advice from Experts:
- Dr. Le Thi Thu Ha, Psychologist: “Equipping children with self-protection skills is the responsibility of every adult. We need to teach children how to recognize danger, how to protect themselves, and how to seek help when needed.”
In Summary:
Protecting children from violence and abuse is the responsibility of society as a whole. Equipping children with the necessary skills will help them be confident, strong, and protect themselves from all dangers. Let’s join hands to build a safe, joyful, and happy society for children.
Please contact us via phone number: 0372666666 or visit the address: 55 To Tien Thanh, Hanoi for further consultation and support.