Turning Away Exploitation (From Out of Harm's Way: Readings on Child Sexual Abuse, Its Prevention and Treatment, P 30-35, 1986, Dawn C Haden, ed. -- See NCJ-107618)

• NCJ Number: 107622
• Author(s): S Newman
• Date Published: 1986
• Length: 0 pages
• Sale Source: Oryx Press
• Publication Type: Citizen Involvement Material
• Note: *This document is currently unavailable from NCJRS. Reprinted from Working Parents, V 1, N 6 (December-January 1984-85), P 23-26

Annotation

Training a child to recognize a sexual assault and giving the child the skills with which to avert potential abuse is a parental responsibility as mandatory as providing food, shelter, and clothing.

Abstract

Training should begin in infancy, when the parent tells the child the names of the body parts. The parent should use accurate terms for the vagina, buttocks, penis, and breasts so that the child will not grow up feeling that something is wrong with that part of the body. Parents should also explain that the child's body, especially the private parts, are to be touched only with the child's permission. Even young children understand the word 'no' and should be taught when they have the right to say 'no'. Children should also be taught to trust their feelings about what is comfortable. Parents should also be aware of how teenagers and adults interact with their children and use care in choosing outside child care. They should also train their children to tell them about abuse. A game called 'Who Do You Tell' is a way to present samples of a variety of situations and suggest actions for the child. Young children cannot understand sexual molestation fully, but parents can use ongoing training to help them cope better with sexual advances or requests that confuse and frighten them.