Studies conducted recently in a leading Ib school in Dubai revealed that a huge percentage of children have faced one or the other form of abuse on a daily basis, be that sexual or physical. It is very important for children to know about the good touch and bad touch activities for recognising this type of unusual situation.
The horrifying incidents are on the rise and every time we open newspapers or social media, we see cases of child abuse, fatal incidents or exploitation cases and that is the reason it is high time we address the elephant in our rooms. However, the sad part is most children do not even understand what is going on when such criminal activities are taking place. As a parent, you would only want to give the best to your child and raise them in a healthy positive environment. It must that kids know about good touch and bad touch so that they take further action and report the school’s Principal.
Why is it important to know?
Parents are generally aware of whatever the child’s requirements and wants are and provide them with the necessary things required to grow up and be happy. But the problem lies in the fact that parents are not omnipresent and cannot be everywhere. Rather, they should not be present in the first place and help their children be more independent. The private schools in Dubai teach these crucial things in orientation programs to the parents and the children’s benefit.
When children grow, they must also learn how to become independent, learn how to interact with people in different social settings and not limit themselves to their comfort zone. In any kind of family get-togethers or functions, their hobby classes, tuition classes and most importantly their school, they will inevitably meet different kinds of people in the presence of their parents or otherwise. However, let’s face the fact that not everyone will have good intentions. Not all individuals have a protective and nurturing attitude. In fact, many people will try to cause harm to them and even try to touch your child in an inappropriate way. Every parent should teach about good touch and bad touch to kids.
Let’s figure out a few steps which could be followed when you are teaching your children how to identify a ‘good touch’ from a ‘bad touch’.
Knowing about the Body
The first and foremost step to make your child understand this according to the counsellors of the private schools in Dubai is to teach them the correct names of all the different body parts including the private body parts. In many cases, it has been seen that the children find difficulty in explaining their parents about sexual abuse because they do not know what kind of words to use. Learning about the correct anatomical words for private body parts offers these children an outlet to express themselves and help them to know that it is alright if they talk about those body parts. For example, you could say that the body parts which are covered by a swimsuit are their private body parts.
What is a Safe or a Good Touch?
Tell your children that a touch that makes them feel safe and warm and the touch that makes them smile is a good touch. They should be made aware that anything that they feel uncomfortable with or hurt them should be reported immediately to the parent or the teacher or any other elder person they feel comfortable with. The parents and their doctors solely can touch their body parts and examine their body when required and this should be made clear to each child early in their life.
The importance of saying “No”
Your child should be taught that they can say “No” whenever he or she feels uncomfortable being touched in a particular way. They should learn to be resolute and firm about it.
Categorising and Reviewing the 3 touches
A child faces many touches but it is important that they know the distinctive category:-
● Safe touch/Comfortable touch
● Unsafe touch/Uncomfortable touch
● Unwanted touch
Safe Touch/Comfortable Touch:
These are the touches that are healthy for them and the child feels safe through these interactions. These touches can make a child feel important and cared for. Hugging, an arm around the shoulder or a pat on the back could be categorised as safe touches.
Unsafe Touch/Uncomfortable Touch :
These are the touches that hurt the body and feelings of a child and that categorises as pushing, pinching, hitting as well as kicking. The other obvious unsafe touch is the sexual touch which could be categorised as sexual abuse or paedophilic touch. You must teach your child that these touches are not alright and if somebody is hurting them they must inform you right away.
Unwanted Touches:
These touches could be categorised as the ones that might be safe, however a child doesn’t want that at a particular moment from that person. It is alright then for a child to say “No’ to an unwanted touch even if it comes from a person who is familiar. You must help your children to practice how to say no in a polite but strong voice. This will enable the child to learn how to set personal boundaries.
Safety Rules and How to Teach Them
● There are plenty of safety rules that could be applied and taught to your child.
● Tell them that it is not right to touch anybody’s private body parts.
● It is completely inappropriate if anybody else apart from the doctor or the parent asks the child to undress or reveal any part of the body in front of them.
● Similarly it is completely unacceptable if anybody wants to take pictures of the body parts.
At the end of the day this is all a collaborative effort which will make the world a safe and better place for our young generation. The Ib school in Dubai, where you want to admit your child into, must teach these things to their students as well.
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