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Pindara Private Hospital Magazine - Issue Two

Children ’s Health Safety Tips for Parents & Caregivers As parents and carers of children there are a number of key steps we can take to build resilience and protect our children against sexual harm: • Inform children that it is wrong for adults to touch them inappropriately and to engage children in sexual activity with them. • Encourage your children to feel comfortable telling you anything, especially if it involves another adult. Encourage your children to identify other trusted adults they can talk to in confidence. • Learn about the people with whom your child is spending time. • Knowledge is power. Teach your children about their bodies. Teach them the correct language to use when describing their private parts. Emphasise that those parts are private. This will make them more at ease if they need to tell you about a touch that made them feel uncomfortable. • Be an active participant with your children’s activities, you will have a better opportunity to observe how the adults in charge interact with your children. If you are concerned about anyone’s behaviour, take it up with the sponsoring organisation. • Notice when someone shows one or all of your children extra attention or starts giving them gifts. Take time to talk to your children, find out why the person is acting in this way. • Teach your kids that they have the right to say NO to any unwelcome, uncomfortable, or confusing touch or actions by others. Teach them to tell you immediately if this happens. Reassure them that you are there to help and it is okay to tell you anything. • Be sensitive to any changes in your children’s behaviour or attitude. Encourage open communication and learn how to be an active listener. Look and listen to small cues and clues that something may be troubling your children, because children are not always comfortable disclosing disturbing events or feelings. This may be because they are concerned about your reaction to their problems. If your children do confide problems to you, strive to remain calm, non-critical, and non judgmental. Listen compassionately to their concern and work with them to get the help they need to resolve the problem. • Practice basic safety skills with your children. Make an outing to a mall or a park a ‘teachable’ experience in which your children can practice checking with you, using pay phones, going to the restroom with a friend, and locating the adults who can help if they need assistance. • Be aware of safe internet practices. Teach your child never to give out their last name, address, or phone number to a person on the internet and never to meet internet friends in person without a parent’s supervision and consent. Parents should help children choose a screen name that does not disclose information about their location. Teach children not to post pictures with identifying information such as a school uniform. Always keep your computer in a public area of your house – not in a child’s bedroom. If multiple computers are necessary, consider laptops with wireless internet. pm harm and in ensuring that if a child is at risk, effective and positive intervention occurs early. “Specialised training can increase organisations’ capacity to both protect children in their care and improve their responses to concerns or disclosures that a child may have been harmed,” she says. “In order to properly address concerns or disclosures by children in their care, parents and carers need to understand the myths surrounding this issue, the dynamics of child sexual assault, the indicators, as well as the barriers to speaking out.” “Providing parents and carers with information and resources to understand the impact on the victim and the family, how this may manifest behaviourally, emotionally or psychologically, and how to support the child’s healing process are as important as the provision of services to the victim themselves.” Need to talk to someone? Call Bravehearts Support and Information line on 1800 272 831. pindaramagazine.com.au Pindara Magazine 61


Pindara Private Hospital Magazine - Issue Two
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