preventing child sexual abuse 175
How to help your child understand that he or she does
not always have to obey bigger people
Once a child has learned to say ‘no’, you can make up situations in
which the child does not have to obey adults.
Suppose an adult
tells you to go
outside and run
after cars and
buses in the road.
Must you do it?
No.
Why
not?
How to help your child know where to go for help
Who can your child turn to? All children
should have at least 3 people whom they
can go to with problems. This could be
their mother or father, older sister or
brother, aunt, neighbor, or any other
person both you and the child trust
outside the family, like another child’s
mother.
Where could you go for help
if I am at work? How about
your Aunt Rose? Or Lisa’s
mother? Who else?
To Nana.
Children should know that if one
person is not available or will not
pay attention, they should go to
the next person. Tell those people
that you are teaching the child to
go to them for help if necessary.
Practice with the child how to go
to people for different kinds of
help.
Helping Children Who Are Deaf (2004)