How to Prevent Child Abuse

Teach your children the difference between acceptable and unacceptable touching, and to trust their instincts about people. Educate yourself about the signs of abuse so you'll be able to detect it.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Yellow Pages
• Telephones
• Therapists

1. Understand that "child abuse" means any kind of harm done to a child and does not just mean sexual abuse.

2. Teach your children that there is a difference between "good" and "bad" touches. Explain what these are.

3. Explain that no one has the right to hurt your child or touch him or her in private areas or touch in anyway that makes him or her feel uncomfortable.

4. Tell your children that the words they need to remember are No, Go, Yell, Tell. If anyone touches them in a way they don't like or tries to get them to go with a stranger or person they don't feel comfortable with they should always say "No!" and ...

5. Go away from the person or situation as quickly as possible.

6. Use their danger voice to yell. A danger voice is a very loud, low-pitched yell, that gets attention immediately. It is not a high-pitched screech. It should never be used in any other situation.

7. Tell a parent, teacher or caregiver immediately about what happened.

8. Help your children understand that they need to be wary not just of the traditional idea of "strangers" but of anyone who makes them feel uncomfortable, even if it is someone they know - like the next-door neighbor.

9. Talk to your children about situations they must avoid, like taking any food or medicine from a person who is not a parent, teacher, caregiver or close friend. Help them understand how to identify a police officer. Take them to the local police station and let them see what a uniform looks like and what a badge looks like.

10. Show your children how to make a collect call to home and how to call 911.

11. Learn what the signs of abuse are so that you will notice if something is going on with your child. Look for bruises, burns, bloody or missing underwear, difficulty with bowel movements or urination, problems with walking or sitting, behavior problems, inappropriate sexual behavior, sore genitals or anything that just makes you feel there is something amiss.

12. Get help from the police, social services department or through a child abuse hotline if you suspect there is a problem.

Tips & Warnings

• If you suspect someone else's child is being abused, look for any of the above signs. You should also notice if the child is hungry all the time, very thin, dirty, wears unwashed clothes, has fading bruises, is depressed or withdrawn or shrinks away from adults.
• If you suspect it, report it. It is better to make a mistake than to allow a child to be harmed or even killed.
• Do not try to handle the situation on your own if you suspect child abuse. Get the authorities and trained professionals involved immediately.