Parents seek advice on how to speak to children about abuse

ABC NEWS (Australia)

This week's allegations about child abuse in Victorian childcare centres have prompted many parents and carers to think about how to talk to their own kids about body safety and how to spot physical and behavioural signs that may indicate abuse.

Transcript

00:00It is really tricky with young kids but there's lots of things that parents can do from a

00:05really young age and research shows that teaching kids the correct name for their genitals, so

00:10using the names like penis, scrotum, vulva, vagina, this can be really protective and this can start

00:16from a very young age and using times like bath time, nappy changes and getting dressed to use

00:22these words and using this correct language it gives kids ownership over these parts of their

00:27bodies and helps them understand that they're private just for them and gives them the language

00:31to talk and ask questions with the trusted adult if something ever feels wrong or not quite right.

00:36It is really tricky when we're talking about very young infants or toddlers who don't have that

00:40language and we also know that even older kids might not directly disclose so with the very young

00:45children like infants where language isn't an option you know parents and caregivers can look

00:50out for physical signs like pain or itching or bruising or bleeding around the genital areas.

00:55They might also notice that children might engage in sexualized play and that can be a sign to

01:00investigate things a little bit further and there might be other signs as well like developmental

01:05delay so infants or children not meeting milestones that you would expect or you might notice changes

01:10or regression in their behaviors. They might be crying more, being more unsettled or changes to their

01:16sleep but it's also important to know that these can also be just a sign of normal developmental

01:21changes or leaps but it's always important to reach out to your GP or trusted mental health professional

01:27for more support around these issues if we're not sure.

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