Tuesday September 25, 2007
Teaching children about sexual abuse
CHILDREN from as young as three years old need to be taught about sexual abuse, according to a trainer for the prevention of child sexual abuse.
V. Yogeswari said such an orientation was essential for the children to understand what was right or wrong, especially when someone touched them.
She said this was especially impor-tant when the child was deaf or mute.
“They need to learn from a young age where they should not be touched, and also to say 'no' when they feel uncomfortable about something. This is more so when the child is deaf or mute, as they have problems expressing their feelings, especially if the parents do not understand sign language or refuse to make the effort to understand them,” she said.
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Teach kids right from wrong: Yogeswari speaking to participants during the workshop. |
Yogeswari, who is deaf herself and “listens” by lip reading, said that parents were not the only ones responsible for teaching their children about such things.
Every responsible person, she stressed, should help talk to and warn children about sexual abuse.
“Among the prevention tips children should be taught are learning to be alert to their surroundings, knowing what to do in an emergency, and immediately running to someone for help when needed,” she said.
Yogeswari said that mute and deaf children must also learn to put their hand up to the face of the would-be sexual offender to signal “no” to his or her advances.
She urged parents and those un-sure about the matter or wanting to learn about preventing sexual abuse to contact counselling help lines or seek advice from women's groups such as the Women’s Aid Organisa-tion and the All Women’s Action Society (Awam).
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