Know your child so that you can identify abuse
Local people working with abused children give some guidelines.
Believe your child when he tells you about abuse, especially sexual abuse.
This, say Hendry Harber of Wild Wild Guardians, Andries Ferreira of Mad Rage Against Child Abuse and Lyndell Scheepers of H5Kids Recovery, organisations in Springs working with abused children.
The three stressed that a child, especially younger than 11 years cannot produce fables about sexual abuse.
If the child tells you something, it has to be urgently followed-up.
They say because any form of abuse is highly traumatic to a child, it takes tremendous guts for this child to tell someone about it.
The three warn that the child will never trust his parents again if they don’t believe him or listen to the problem or ridicule him because of what he tells his parent.
They also say many people are too scared to get involved with a child who needs help, even if it is their own child.
They warn that this attitude of someone who knows about abuse and does not report it, will get that person charged for being an accomplice.
The three supplied some warning signs visible in children who might be abused.
The child’s behaviour changes by becoming:
- moody.
- Agressive.
- Evasive.
- Loses interest in being with their friends or participating in their normal activities.
- Avoids certain types of people or someone specific.
They feel parents have to get to know their children because these signs in their children’s behaviour may also be seen in teenage behavioural patterns.
Discuss any change in behaviour with your child, is their advice.
Child sexual abuse can occur in many forms.
The website www.ehow.com says most children are completely unaware that what has happened to them is wrong and that the act against them should be reported.
The website defines child sexual assault as an act of harming a child in a sexual manner for the perpetrator’s own desire and fulfilment.
The website says sexual assault can happen anywhere and at any time.
It is most often done by someone with whom the child victim has a close and trusting relationship.
Because of this broken trust, many children are too afraid to tell someone because of fearing that they will be in trouble or that the person who assaulted them will become angry with them.
