By Seep Arora
in 
Many parents delay talking to their kids about inappropriate touching. But just as educating children about ways to keep themselves safe is essential, facilitating more difficult conversations related to their safety, such as talking about sexual abuse, is pertinent. As a parent, you may be able to be present for your child whenever necessary. However, your kid is bound to find themselves in situations where they cannot turn to you for help or guidance. In such situations, they might encounter other individuals. It may be at family gatherings, school, interest classes, or daycare centres. And not all of the people they come across have good intentions. Some may try to harm your child or be inappropriate with them.
By teaching your child the difference between good and bad touch, you effectively prevent them from being groomed to be sexually abused. So, here are some things you could do to make your child identify and differentiate between good and bad touches.
- Teaching them about their privates: Teach your child about private body parts that other people should not touch. You may inform them that these include regions of their body concealed by a swimsuit. Moreover, teaching them the correct names of their anatomy helps them overcome any shame they might feel while discussing those parts.
- Giving them ownership of their bodies: Tell them that their body belongs only to them. This allows them the freedom to decline a hug, kiss, or pat on the back if they don’t feel comfortable with it, further helping them avoid and identify unnecessary touching.
- Telling them what safe touching is: Consider telling them that when a parent or doctor touches them, it is solely to verify that their bodies are healthy and inspect them during a routine check-up. This is a safe touch and is usually over quickly. Nobody but these people are allowed to touch them in such a manner or ask them to raise their clothes to examine them.
- Teaching them how to confront bad touch: You must teach your child that they have the right to refuse and utter a strong ‘No’ or ‘Stop’ if someone tries to touch them inappropriately. They should understand that yelling and attracting other people’s attention can put them in a safe place. You must instruct your child to get away from the situation as quickly as possible. They must also understand that they should not be alone with that individual in the future as they may repeat the inappropriate behaviour.
- Building trust: Ensuring that your child knows that they can share everything with you is essential. Letting them know that they can count on you to confide in and trusting them if they wish to share anything assists them feel more confident about alerting you.
- Helping them understand that they are not at fault: It is necessary that your child understands the difference between right and wrong behaviour and does not blame themselves for the wrongdoings of others. Consider reassuring them that the person who improperly touched them is at fault. They should not associate or hold any guilt over the incident.
Furthermore, we encourage you to acknowledge that sexual abuse isn’t always forceful and may result from soft pressure or coercion and manipulation. In such cases, it is even more crucial that your child be able to identify and alert you of the same.