Do's and Don'ts when Inquiring with your Child About Possible Sexual Abuse

Child Sexual Abuse Prevention by Zina

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Welcome to our 3rd episode of Child Sexual Abuse Prevention by Zina. Consider this episode an introduction in speaking with your child regarding signs of possible child sexual abuse they may be exhibiting.
This episode provides a sample scenario of a physical sign indicator of possible child sexual abuse on a younger child, and how to gently inquire with the child about where the physical indicators stemmed from.
The next few episodes will sprinkle additional information on speaking with different age children about possible physical and/or behavioral indicators, and the importance of it.
The 'Do's' in this episode are:
Do remain calm when speaking with your child
Do listen to your child
Do thank your child for telling you, whether it was related to a sexual abuse incident or something else, like accidently sitting in an ant bed creating physical indicators, as in our scenario (you'll have to check out this podcast to find out where that came from),
Do tell the child I believe you
Do tell the child they are not in trouble with you
Do tell the child it wasn't the child's fault
The 'Don'ts' in this episode are:
Don't scream and yell at your child trying to gather information
Don't put words or a possible offender's name in your child's head. IF something happened, the child often will tell you, or the forensic interviewer, through gentle questioning.
Don't ask why. Why didn't you stop them? Why did you wear...? Why were you there? Why did you let it happen? The word 'why' immediately puts blame on the victim.
Don't punish the child for not telling you what you 'want' to hear. What happened to the child may have nothing to do with sexual abuse.
Don't blame your child.
Email me at [e-mail] with any questions or comments. Looking forward to hearing from you!
Have a blessed day!
Zina