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Child molestation is a terrible thing. Just imagining it could give many parents nightmares. But it is a reality that they must confront because even if they succeed in blocking out the thought from their minds, the child abuser is not stopping his plans to molest helpless children. On the contrary, they are taking steps to approach any child that is vulnerable somewhere right now. So it does a parent and their child no good to simply wish this harsh reality away. It is a difficult subject to confront but our children’s survival is dependent on us facing it.
You want a future for your child where they are happy, healthy, prosperous, successful citizens of the country that will bring joy and pride to your heart and who can stand up for themselves. You want children who have happy childhood memories that are not ruined by any kind of trauma. Just picturing this for your child and the thought of anything interfering with that future should make you want to take steps. You most likely see your child going through high school, completing college, going to work, getting married and raising their own happy children. And you have committed time, money and other resources to these dreams. But the reality is that the work of protecting them from child molesters is very important because if they are abused, all that good work that you have done can be ruined. This is because a person’s childhood affects their future. Therefore, now is the time for you to sit up and do the needful.
We can only protect our child if we toughen up.
It is More Common Than You Probably Know
Child sexual abuse is more common than you probably know. You may not have had the experience personally and to the best of your knowledge, none of your close relatives has. But statistics out there show that it is more common than most people think. According to a report by the United Nations report, in just one year an estimated 150 million girls experienced molestation while 73 million boys under the age of 18 suffered the same thing. This particular report goes on to say: ‘This is certainly an underestimate".
Your Child is More Likely to Be Molested By Someone They Know and Trust Than a Total Stranger.
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Many people think of molesters as monsters who are roaming the streets or hiding in dark street corners waiting for children to lure, kidnap and molest. While these kinds of monsters are common in movies and sometimes in the news, the vast majority of child sexual predators are people whom they already know. 90 percent of cases of child abuse involve children and persons such as neighbours, teachers and relatives.
You Have More Power As a Parent to Protect Your Kids Than They Can Manage to Do on Their Own.
You might think of yourself as a weak person when compared to a diabolical, criminal-minded paedophile, but your child is far weaker than you are. The experience and wisdom that you have as an adult who has spent decades on earth put you in a good position to protect your child. If you learn about the tactics used by child sexual predators you can succeed.
The Job is Yours and No one Else’s
The job of protecting your child from sexual predators is yours primarily. Whether or not you live in a part of the world where the government is responsive. Whether or not you belong to a religious organization where leaders to guide your children or you have employed a staff that takes care of your children, it is still your responsibility to protect them from sexual predators.
Teaching Your Children How to Protect Themselves From Sexual Predators Will Not Take Away Their Innocence.
There are simple instructions that kids can understand that can help to protect them. Contrary to what some parents think, children who know nothing about sex are easier prey than those who have been educated. Even child molesters have been documented to attest to this.
Screen Carefully People Who Seem More Interested in Children Than Adults Before Allowing Them Close to Your Children
When such give your children special attention scrutinize them properly. Of course, many people who love children mean no harm, but without labelling or showing fear, be on the lookout for any signs that might reveal who they really are, negative or positive.
The More Active You Are in Your kid’s Life The Safer They Are
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It is difficult for molesters to come into your child’s life if you are very active in it. Parents who are not close to and who do not spend time with their children; and do not know what kind of person they are with and what they are doing at every point in the day leave space for abusers. Molesters will often go after the easy targets, and those are usually children whose parents are not close to them. Don’t let your child be one of the easy ones.
Being A Good Listener is Part of Prevention
A child is not likely to tell you when it is on the verge of being molested. A molester will manipulate them to make sure that does not happen. Being a good listener will help you nip things in the bud before they happen. You will hear things they are not consciously saying if you spend time listening to them.
Kids Can Understand “Good Touch, Bad Touch”
Start early with teaching them body parts with real, not baby words. Let them know that there is nothing shameful about any of their body parts. Tell them places people are not allowed to touch; that their penis and vagina are private, not toys to be played with by anyone including mommy and daddy or a doctor. If a healthcare professional has to touch it, explain that he is only going to make sure everything is okay.
Have the Conversation From Time To Time
Adults forget things and children need reminders more. So, one conversation is not enough. It should be had from time to time so that they do not forget.
Don’t FIll Them With Fear
You do not want to fill your children with fear but let them know that there are people who would like to touch them in a bad way. This should not be the only message they hear from you or they might become fearful and timid. These warnings of abuse should just be one of the many things you talk about. This way they can put it in proper perspective.
Let Your Children Have a Balanced Understanding of Obedience
You want your children to be obedient so that they can grow up to be model citizens. It is good for them to learn to obey adults but they must know circumstances where they are not to do so. Children who are overly obedient become easy prey for molesters. Let them know that their obedience should not be to any adults and at all times. Let them know that your word overrules that of any other adult at any time.
Teach them to Never Obey Anyone Who Teaches Them to Keep Secrets From You
They should report any person who teaches them to keep a secret from you. Molesters are known to train children to keep secrets before they progress to abusing them.
Rehearse Scenarios With Them
With “what if…?” questions, like a game teach your child what to say if a molester tries to lure them. You can ask: What would you say or do if this happened? What if you get lost in the grocery store, what would you do? The same way you can ask them what they would do if a stranger called them from across the street. If your child shows a predator that it has been taught, they will run away to look for an easier target.
These are some of the things you can do to protect your children from bad people who want to take away their innocence and ruin their future. The power is in your hands as their parent. All you need to do is use it.
REFERENCES
https://www.childmolestationvictims.com/eight-ways-to-protect-your-child-from-sexual-predators/
https://psychcentral.com/blog/protecting-your-children-from-sexual-predators/
https://www.kidpower.org/library/article/protecting-kids-from-sexual-predators/