Child abuse: 4 useful tips to protect your kids

Ways to prevent your children from abuse.

Child abuse is prevalent in all the parts of the world. It can create a deep impact on the child's mind and hamper his/her quality of life. Children tend to withdraw themselves socially. Similarly, these traits can be witnessed in the adulthood as well. Many films have been made to create awareness regarding child abuse. Also, a lot of celebrities have come forward and raised their voices. Appropriate preventive measures should be undertaken to tackle the same.

Children need to be protected from sexual predators. Mumbai-based renowned Clinical Psychologist Arti Shroff tells you how to recognize and prevent child abuse.

Here'show to empower your kid to speak against child abuse.

Recognize the red flags: Any changes in behavior can indicate a red flag. Changes in mood, sleep, appetite and somatic complaints such as headaches, stomachaches suggest emotional discomfort. If your child strongly expresses not wanting to go to school or be around a particular person, take it seriously and reassure the child that they won't be punished for speaking up.

What is private is private: Having a clear conversation with children, that besides themselves only a parent (if the child is below 4 years), a doctor can touch their private parts and that if anyone else does, the parents need to be told. ReadWhat to do when your child has been sexually abused?

Identify the adults in your child s life: It is important for parents to know who is interacting with their child on a regular basis and build a rapport with them. This makes potential predators wary of approaching their children, knowing the child has a strong bond with their family and has an extended strong social support system to fall back on. Predators generally target victims who lack social support from family and friends, making them easy targets.

Monitor your child s devices: Sexual predators are often targeting children through social media and chatting networks. It is important to monitor mobile and internet use and set appropriate boundaries.

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