Young children (under 11)

Children are more likely to be victims of abuse in the home, or from someone else they know.

They can be as traumatised witnessing domestic violence as children who are physically abused themselves. You can help to keep your children safe by following some simple advice from Kidscape, a national charity working to prevent bullying and child sexual abuse.

Your child should:

• Be safe – Tell your children that they have the right to be safe. No-one can take that away from them
• Be believed – If your child wants your help, they need to know that they will be believed and supported. This is especially true in the case of sexual assault, as children rarely lie about it
• Protect their own bodies – Children must know that their bodies belong to them, especially the private parts covered by their swimsuits
• Not have secrets – Child molesters that the child knows often say that a kiss or a touch is ‘our secret'. Tell your children that some secrets should never be kept, even if they said they wouldn't tell
• Say no – Tell your children that it's all right to say ‘no' if someone tries to hurt them. A lot of children are told to always do what grown-ups tell them
• Refuse touches – Tell your children that they can say no to touching or kissing if they don't like it. If someone touches them and tells them to keep it a secret, they must tell you. Never force your child to hug or kiss anyone
• Get help against bullies – Bullies pick on younger, more vulnerable children. Tell children to get friends to help them and to say no without fighting. Make sure they tell a grown-up. Tell them to give up something a bully wants, such as a bike, if they are going to get hurt. Tell them you will not be angry if they come home without it
• Try not to talk to strangers – Most well-meaning adults will not approach a child who is on their own, unless they are obviously lost or distressed. Tell your children never to talk to strangers and to politely ignore any approach from a stranger. Get them to tell you if a stranger tries to talk to them
• Tell – Your children must always tell you what has happened and know that you will not be angry with them
• Break rules sometimes – Tell your children they can break rules to stay safe. They can run away, scream, lie or kick to get away from danger