School’s out; watch your children

Jul 16, 2017 Letters

Dear Editor,
The July/August term break is here. Children will be on vacation for the next 49 days. Many parents will take this opportunity to send their children to visit relatives or various summer camps. Parents therefore need to take serious precautions as they make plans for their children during the holidays in order to protect them from possible abuse.
When a parent allows their child/children to visit and stay over at a relative, they need to be clear who will protect them in their absence, considering all of the risk factors of communities and all those individuals who will have easy access to their child/children. Parents need to have important conversations with their children about topics such as “good touch/bad touch”. Let the children know that they should be cautious with everyone. A common misperception that many have is that abuse is usually committed by a stranger. The truth is, the abuser is more likely to be a close family member trusted by both the child and the parents.
Children should be guided to play in open areas where they can be easily monitored by their parent or guardian and adventures to creeks and secluded areas must be supervised by a responsible adult. ChildLinK has dealt with many cases of child sexual abuse referred to us where the perpetrator monitored the child’s activities and followed him/her to a secluded area to commit heinous acts. If the parent is at home during the holidays, monitor your children as frequently as possible.
During the holiday period, parents can make a greater effort to strengthen their relationship with their children. Take the time to do some low cost activities together. A game of snakes and ladders, for instance, can be fun. This should build rapport with your child/children and help them to be aware that they can approach you to disclose any information without fear of judgment or punishment. Perpetrators usually threaten the child after abusing him/her. The threats of the perpetrator coupled with fear of judgment, punishment and even shame, prevent children from disclosing information. This is especially important because when a child is sent to a summer camp or a new environment, that child will inevitably meet new people and become familiar with them. This increases the possibility of encountering an abuser as there were over 700 reported cases of sexual abuse in 2016.
Working parents, do ensure that arrangements for your children who have to be at home are protective and do check in on your children during the day where possible. Take advantage of available communications technology and, if possible, video call your children and make this fun since children enjoy using their gadgets.
Finally, parents observe your children for possible changes in behaviour, their changes in development, making new friends, losing friends, going to a new school and interactions with new teachers. These are all areas where children need guidance on how to deal with the changes. And to the general public, we can also be a good neighbor and ‘keep an eye out’ for other children as well.
Hasani Tinnie
Communications Officer
Child Rights Alliance

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