How to protect children from abuse?

Child abuse has become widespread these days. As a result, it is parents’ responsibility  to keep a strict check on their children in order to protect them from all kinds of child abuse. However, before we move forward to factors that provide an opportunity to the abuser to maltreat children and ways to stop this ill-treatment towards children, we must understand the term ‘child abuse.’

What is child abuse?

Child abuse does not only mean physical violence towards children. In addition, any maltreatment towards a child from an adult, whether it is violence or threat, comes under child abuse.

What groups does child abuse come from?

Child abuse happens in all types of families and neighborhoods. According to numerous studies, child abuse comes from all kinds of boundaries of race, religion, income, age. Although one cannot measure the exact risk a child faces during that period, the following are some factors one must be aware of.

Child factors:

• Children are very young
• They are not aware of good touch and bad touch
• Children with disabilities
• Children who were already exposed to abuse

Parental Factors:

• Parents who are very young at the time of their child’s birth
• Families with an abusive spouse
• Parents who do not know much about parenting
• Spouse is suffering from mental health problems

Other Factors:

• Friends with abuser
• Parents with a history of mental illnesses
• Families living below the poverty line
• Parents with alcohol problems
• Families with emotional and financial stress
• Social isolation
• Violence in the surrounding

Ways to protect children from abuse

Child abuse is one of the most terrible crimes. Such experiences make your child traumatized for a lifetime. To save children from such horrifying backgrounds, parents must use the following strategies.

Nurture your child

Parents must show love and affection towards children and be their confidant. This way, they will ensure that their children share any problem they face throughout their life.

Spread awareness

It is essential to spread awareness about child abuse. It is important to protect children from abuse. Many parents still do not know that child abusers are not strangers. Therefore, they tend to trust their relatives and friends without knowing that they might be amongst the abusers. That is why, it is essential to educate people about child abuse.

Mentoring programs, after-school activities, parent-child programs are some activities to educate children and parents about ways to protect children from such experiences.

Know the signs

Numerous signs reveal that something is disturbing your child. For example, parents must keep a strict check if they see their child being extra friendly with a person. Similarly, when children do not feel comfortable meeting a relative or a friend of yours, please do not force them. This is one essential way to protect children from abuse.

Depression, secrecy, changes in sleep patterns, hostility, changes in eating habits, and inappropriate sexual behavior are a few alarming signs that signify that your child is going through some severe problem.

Report the abuser

If you witness an abuser, you must always report them. When you talk to your children about child abuse, you must listen to them carefully. Trust your child when he or she tells you something about a relative or a person you know. Make sure you comfort your child and tell him or her that it was not his or her fault.