Sexual Abuse occurs whenever person’s sexual privacy is intruded or not respected.

It may range from sending sexual messages to actual sexual intercourse.

Most common Sexual Abuses occur in the form of inappropriate touching, fondling, showing, watching, talking or being forced to look at another person’s sex organ.

With the availability of multifunctional hi-tech cell phones, incidences of video shooting without knowledge or consent, sending Sexual or vulgar SMS or MMS is on the rise.

Any form of communication, verbal, visual, audio or even expressions which forces or leads a minor to participate in sexual contact, activity or attention is criminal offence

Although the abuser may be a stranger keeping watch on activities of child, in almost 70 to 80 % cases they are someone close to the family.

Our child must be guarded against abuse by a close relative such as uncle, cousin, brother or even father or people in acquaintances such as friends, neighbours, servants, drivers, teachers, and even doctors.

Abusers take advantage of their closeness to family and our training of kids about respecting and obeying elders.

Because winning trust of a child is easy, the abuser has no resistance and they usually succeed in pressurizing child to keep the incidence secret.

In most cases Sexual Abuse remains “Silent” because of fear, shame or shock experienced by the child.

Sexually desperate child may use it as an opportunity

Some children initially get attracted to love and attention of the Abuser, and are later scared to expose the abuser even when it causes continuous physical or mental trauma. This is because of their guilt of being submissive and fear of loss of relationship with the caring abuser.

Conflicts in parents, disturbed families, make attention starved children an easy victim of Sexual Abuse.

Although girls are most common victims of Sexual Abuse, Boys too are equally exposed to similar situations.

Educating your child right from the age of 3 yrs with the help of professional Sex Educator in your presence and trusting your child when they report peculiar behaviour of any person is the best way to protect our child from Sexual Abuse.

This education is necessary up to the age of 16 yrs as the child grows, because the mode of Abuse changes with time and situations around our child.

Uncontrolled use of internet, social media network and Chatting with strangers, are some of the serious risks today for teenagers.

Sexual Abuse at any age could leave scar/trauma, which can damage person’s personal as well as married life. Hence, the victim must seek help of a competent.

1.   Educate your child never to sit on anyone's laps including uncles and aunties.

2.   Observe if any friend, relative, or neighbour of yours gives unusual hug or kiss to your child. Politely prohibit them from hugging or kissing your child.

3.   Avoid getting dressed in front of your child.

4.   Never allow any adult, even a close relative, refer to your child as 'my wife' or
'my husband'

5.   Whenever your child goes out to play with friends make sure you look for a
way to find out what kind of play they do. They are likely to abuse themselves sexually out of curiosity.

6.   Never force your child to visit any adult he or she is not comfortable with and
also be observant when your child becomes too fond of a particular adult, including a close relative.

7.   When a very lively child suddenly becomes withdrawn, you may patiently find
out the real reason from your child.

8.   Give your child an age appropriate information about sex. 

9.   Sex-educating a teenager with risks and responsibilities will induce the right
values about sex. Else, they are likely to become victim of misconceptions and wrong values.

10. It is always advisable to observe which TV programs your child is fond of or what exactly he is surfing on internet.

11. Teach your child to wash their private parts properly when they start bathing themselves.

12. Educate them, never to allow anyone touch their private areas.

13. Blacklist some materials and people you think could threaten the sanity of
your child. This includes music, movies and even some of your friends and families.

14. Let your child understand the value of standing out of the crowd.

15. When your child complains about a particular person, a teacher, an attendant,
or even a close relative, never keep quiet about it. Take up the issue and prove that you care to defend them.

Remember, as a parent, we have an important and responsible role in protecting our child from every type sexual abuse and helping them when they need us most without getting upset with them.