How can parents talk about sexual abuse with their child?
Every parent can take action to prevent sexual assault. If sexuality is still too often taboo, it is nevertheless part of the questions of children from an early age. Each parent must approach the subject within the framework of the education that he transmits.
Why should you talk to your child about sexuality?
Studies show that children who are better informed about sexuality delay their first sexual experience, have fewer partners and take fewer risks. If the school also addresses the issue, parents must address the subject, not only by naming the parts of the body, but also by answering their child’s questions.
Depending on his age, and relying if you wish on books for example, deliver comprehensible information to your child with an accessible vocabulary according to what he knows and what he wants to know. There is no age to approach sexuality, but it is up to the parents to adapt to the development of their child.
Prevent sexual assault
Statistics show that most sexual assaults are committed by people around the child. Talking to him about it with clear, age-appropriate information, without over-dramatizing it, can encourage him to talk or ask for help if he finds himself in difficulty. He will know what is acceptable or not from an adult.
If you were sexually abused as a child yourself, you may find it difficult to bring up the subject. In this case, do not hesitate to seek professional help or ask the other parent to bring up the subject.
Find out more: “All naked!: The benevolent dictionary of sexuality” by Myriam Daguzan Bernier and Cécile Gariepy.
