April 14, 2015
I was in a fit of rage, my eyes red and my head was on fire!!! By nature I am a calm person but when I feel this way, it is really difficult to control my anger.
A little child was molested!!! The child, merely 8 years old!! I wish I could get that man who did this!!! She was coming back from school alone in the lift when this stranger suddenly entered, pressed the first floor, took her out on the staircase and tried touching her face and hands. The child sensing something wrong started crying. Luckily this man got frightened and ran away. In a way, I thank God that she was sensible enough to cry; my body shudders thinking what would have happened if she were a silent victim.
So many things are running in my head. I visualize meeting that man and tearing him into pieces and when he would beg for mercy I would tell him never to do this to any other kids. I want to kick him and slap his face so he would remember this incident everytime he gets those lusty feelings.
Such sick people are called pedophiles.
Who is a pedophile?
A pedophile is a person who is sexually attracted to children of either or both sexes. Pedophiles cannot be recognized as they look like a common man. He can be a respectable person; a common man, a nice neighbour or a relative, a school teacher or a driver. They may use threats so the child may not tell anyone else. They can be a close family member and visiting the house frequently. They may find ways of being in close proximity of the child, like baby-sitting the child when the parents go out, showing extra love and attention to the child, giving money or gifts to the child. This may make the child confused especially if the child does not receive the needed love from the parents.
How can we protect our children?
We cannot be around our kids everytime. Just like telling our kids that if we don’t cross the roads carefully it may lead to accidents, we could tell our kids to be aware and careful about pedophiles. We need to keep checking our kids, talking to them and asking them if they have any problems. Keep looking if they show any changes in their behavior.
Be suspicious if an adult is too attached to your child and moreover if your child is acting scared or confused to be left alone with this person.
But we must also remember that most people have good intentions and we must be careful about jumping into conclusions.
Show your child the parts of the body and some parts of the body that are not supposed to be touched by anyone. Tell them that if they are uncomfortable if someone tries to touch their body they should get away as quick as possible and inform you or someone they trust about the incident.
Always show trust in your child and even if you are shocked, make the child feel that it is not his/her mistake. Don’t leave your child alone especially in secluded areas where there are high chances of these incidents.
Give your child lots of love and attention and ask your child of the happenings during the day. Keep some family time where each member of the family talks of what happened in office / school.
How do we know if our child is sexually abused or molested?
As I said before, we cannot be around everyime to protect our child. Watch out for change in behavior in your child, if your child is withdrawn or unusually aggressive, looks scared, has redness or soreness in their genital areas. They may have nightmares or start wetting bed, have difficulty in school or may even run away from home.
Such children will need support and assurance and also guidance from a person who specializes in helping sexually abused children.
Sexual abuse can affect children for the rest of their lives.You may be the one person who has the courage to speak out and do something for the child. The most important thing is the child’s right to be kept safe.
Teach children the names of their sexual body parts so they know how to talk about them and feel okay talking about them to you.
Children find it hard to confide in elders when they are sexually abused as they may be threatened by the abuser. Make them feel comfortable and give your full love and support to your child.
Please, I repeat, please, don’t blame the child if they are molested or sexually abused.
As for me, I am still waiting to get my hands on the culprit who did this to the innocent 8-year-old child.