Good Touch and Bad Touch: Why it is important to teach your child about it at an early age?

How to teach your child about Good Touch and Bad Touch?

In today’s era, we often hear about child abuse and molestation. It’s high time now, we should start teaching young children about “Good Touch and Bad Touch” to help and prevent them from any kind of threat. Notably, children between the age of 6-9 are more prone to child abuse.

Most of the time, the newspaper, and the media report such cases where young children, both boys and girls, are sexually abused by an adult around them or by some family member. The problem is that they do not even know what is happening with them. We all are living in the 21st century, but it’s still a sensitive topic for parents to talk to their children. The same goes for schools as well. When we talk to children, we usually hesitate to speak up on sensitive topics. But the fact remains that it is very important for the betterment of young children that they should know about all this, and can deal with it properly if they ever come across a situation like this.

Start talking to your child about what is good touch and bad touch as early as possible, so that they are equipped to understand this sensitive issue? Because the only goal here is to inform your child about the dangers without causing any harm. Tell them without any hesitation that the body parts we usually keep covered are our private parts, and no one has the permission to touch you there. Give them your own example that parents can touch you there only if they are bathing or cleaning you, not otherwise.

Explain them and make them understand the difference between Good and Bad Touch:-

Good Touch is all about the pleasant and good feeling; it is a way to show care, love, and help. Try to make them understand with the help of examples like when Mamma hugs you or Papa gives you a goodnight kiss or your Grandparents hold you in their arms and you hold your friend’s hands while playing. Bad Touch is a touch that will make you uncomfortable and where you feel unpleasant and strange and you want to stop that.

Again give some kind of examples to explain them like, it is a bad touch if you feel hurt and disturbed, if you don’t want to be touched, if someone touches your private parts without any reason, if someone touches you and tells you not to tell anyone, these are the examples of a bad touch.

Try to become Your Child’s Best Friend – Spend some quality time with your children. Ask them or listen to them when they are saying and sharing about what they did during the whole day. Make them as much as comfortable and assure them that they can share anything with you.

It is not done yet. Alerting children is not enough only; we have to teach them what to do if ever they face a situation like this.

Tell them simply to follow these things:-

• Tell your children that if someone touches you in an inappropriate way that you don’t like, say ‘NO’ to them. Always remember your body is your property. So no one can touch in a way that you do not like or which makes you uncomfortable.

• Get away from that place as fast as you can and try not to be alone with that person again in the future.

• Immediately call or ask for help, go to a trustworthy person like your parents or your guardians and teacher and tell them everything that happened. You can scream for help if you do not have your elders nearby, so that anyone can come to help you.

• Tell them not to be scared of that person and not to feel bad about themselves. They have not done anything wrong. It’s the other person who is guilty not them.

Child Sexual Abuse (CSA):-

Child Sexual Abuse (CSA) is a mental or physical violation of a child with sexual intent, generally by a person who is in the position of power and trust of a child.

Here are some more signs of child abuse:-

• If an adult revealing his/her genital organs to the child and influencing the child to do the same for them i.e. exhibitionism.

• If an adult touches the child’s genital organ with hands or with other objects and persuading the child to touch their genitalia i.e. touching and fondling of a child.

• If an adult having anal, oral and vaginal intercourse with a child with or without penetration i.e. assault which includes rape and sodomy.

• If an adult is persuading or encouraging a child to hear, read or view any pornographic material.

• If an adult is forcing a child to indulge in any sexual activity.

• If an adult marrying a minor or minor marrying another minor is considered to be a forced relation.
Children are not only the victims of child sexual abuse, but are also traumatized by the law because they are unaware of the act itself. Due to the trauma which children are suffering, their future may get problematic.

There are very few cases of child sexual abuse which are reported. Other victims do not even share their plight with their parents. The worst part is the feeling of silence and shame which characterizes the cases of sexual abuse amongst children. To overcome the detrimental effects of child sexual abuse, youth must be protected from this harm. It is imperative to capture the perpetrators of the sexual assault against Indian children.

Laws Related to Child Sexual Abuse:-

• In 2012, the Indian Parliament passed the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act.

• Model Guidelines for POCSO by MWCD

Conclusion:-

All of us want only the security of our children and want them to be safe. We want to protect them against all the evil things. Our children come into contact with so many people every day and there are lots of good and bad people around them. It becomes our responsibility to sensitize them, so that they are ready to face and handle any odd situation or person coming their way.

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