The Importance of Early Education on Safe Touch and Unsafe Touch: Equipping the little ones for Safety and Protection

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Teaching children about safe and unsafe touch at an early age is critical for their safety and well-being. By learning about appropriate touch and how to identify and report inappropriate touch, children are empowered to protect themselves and assert their boundaries. Keep the focus on the fact that no one is allowed to touch the children other than the people approved by the mother, all the while children must be encouraged to share about any person who makes them feel uncomfortable, no matter who the person may be. With very young children (below the age of 5 years), restricting to only the mother “to touch” helps remove ambiguity, giving a clear and precise message to the child.

It’s important for parents and caregivers to have open and honest conversations with children about safe touch and unsafe touch, using age-appropriate language and strategies that are tailored to the child’s developmental level. Using visual aids, social stories, and role-playing can be effective ways to help children understand these concepts and feel more confident about their ability to protect themselves. It could also lead to creating an environment where the child feels that the caregiver will believe them, and hold any person who harms the child accountable.

Teaching children about good/safe touch and bad/unsafe touch also helps to prevent child sexual abuse.

Studies have shown that children who are educated about these concepts are more likely to be able to recognise, resist and disclose abuse to a trusted adult if it occurs. This can, “ in turn,” help to stop the abuse and get the child the support and services they need.

Overall, teaching 3-year-olds about good touch and bad touch is a critical step in protecting their safety and well-being, and empowering them to make informed choices about their own bodies.

I am sure you are wondering where to start, easier said than done. It is doable for sure - you need to understand - when teaching children anything you must start with the known- moving towards the unknown. You start at the basics, lay the foundation- by introducing the word - : “giving simple names to body parts” – touch by a simple game – touch my hand, touch the glass-you can do the action and repeat the sentence. The child will understand. Help the children understand what is good- while eating anything the child likes – is this good? This is good! you can use gestures for good as well, the same approach to something which is dirty or bad or “unsafe.” This process can begin from a very young age, like when the child is being taught other body parts.

Once the vocabulary is developed, move to good touch and bad touch. Clearly starting with familiar concepts is a helpful approach when teaching children about touch. You can begin by playing simple games that involve touching objects and using descriptive words like “good” and “bad”. For example, you can ask the child to touch your hand and say, “This is a good touch” or touch a dirty object and say, “This is a bad touch”. This helps the child understand the meaning of these words in a concrete and practical way.

Once the child has a basic understanding of these concepts, you can introduce the idea of good touch and bad touch in a more explicit way. This approach helps the child feel more confident and engaged in the learning process and creates a foundation for them to develop a healthy and positive relationship with their own bodies.

Tell yourself: To achieve my desired goal, I will give myself a timeframe of 2
to 3 weeks, taking a slow and steady approach without feeling overwhelmed or stressed.

Post the initial 2 or 3 weeks, one must remember: Teaching a child personal safety is a process that continues throughout the life of the child. It progresses from personal safety to recognising changes in the body, accepting physical body change, hormones, etc, puberty, sexuality and so on. Hence, teach a child to respect all parts of their body (keeping oneself clean, maintained, eating healthy….) and to not attach shame to any part. Help them realize that shame has to do with a person’s behavior and not with how a person dresses, or looks.

Yes, it can be challenging, but here are some tips that may be helpful:

>Use visuals: Children often respond well to visual aids such as pictures or videos. You can use books or videos that explain good touch and bad touch in a simple and age-appropriate way.
Use picture books: You can use picture books with simple and clear illustrations to explain good touch and bad touch. Look for books with images of happy and safe situations, as well as images that show people being uncomfortable or scared.

>Social stories: Social stories are short stories that are designed to teach social skills or concepts. You can create a social story that explains good touch and bad touch using pictures and simple language.

There are some stories coming up on the ‘Teaching Young children to read’ page on this website

>Visual schedules: Visual schedules can be used to help the child understand when and where it is appropriate to touch others. For example, you can use pictures to show that it’s okay to hug mom or dad, but not okay to hug strangers.

>Videos: You can use videos that explain good touch and bad touch in a simple and age-appropriate way. Look for videos with clear visuals and simple language.

>Flashcards: You can create flashcards with pictures of different body parts, and use them to teach the child the names of different body parts. This can help the child to communicate if they have been touched inappropriately.

>Use sign language: If the child is mute, teaching some simple sign language can
help them communicate with their caregivers. You can teach them signs for
“yes,” “no,” “stop,” and “help.” This can help the child to communicate if someone “makes them feel uncomfortable” or has touched them inappropriately.

>Role-play: Role-playing can be an effective way to teach a child about appropriate behavior and what to do if someone touches them inappropriately. You can use dolls or stuffed animals to act out scenarios, and teach the child to say “no” or “stop.”

Teach them to report it to you: It’s important to teach the child to tell a trusted adult if someone touches them inappropriately. You can teach them to come to their mom or dad and show them the sign for “help” or “no.” and if in a school to inform someone they trust immediately.

>Use positive reinforcement: It’s important to appreciate the child when they communicate or report any unsafe behavior. Positive reinforcement can help to build their confidence and encourage them to continue to communicate with their caregivers.

>Seek professional help: If the child is struggling to understand or communicate about good touch and bad touch, it may be helpful to seek the assistance of a qualified professional, such as a speech-language pathologist or a therapist.

Remember:

Teaching about safe touch and unsafe touch is an ongoing process, and it’s important to continue to reinforce these concepts with the child over time.

Every child is different, and what works for one child may not work for another. It’s important to observe the child’s response to different visuals and adjust the teaching approach accordingly.

Some useful links to teaching children about personal safety:

Bal Suraksha App / Surakshith App

https://enfoldindia.org/postersvideosppts-other-iec/

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The Importance of Early Education on Safe Touch and Unsafe Touch: Equipping the little ones for Safety and Protection