As adults and parents it is our sole responsibility to ensure that the children are prepared for that additional stress which awaits them. If a trusting and open relationship between child and parent exists, it will encourage the child to speak out about any abuse that may take place. The level of confidence will depend on how well the child has been prepared and how much they trust the parents. Parents must practice having an open mind to all matters and pay attention to the concerns of children, no matter how trivial. It is not always necessary to participate in a debate or give instruction on every matter which is raised; sometimes it is good to just listen. Children must be encouraged to approach parents with their issues.
Being sexually harassed or abused takes a special kind of courage to discuss with parents. It is, therefore extremely important for parents to be vigilant of any tell-tale signs of something being amiss. Parents must never ignore any of the aforementioned warning signs; they are an indication of a deep underlying issue. Sexual abuse is very embarrassing and personal; often reinforced by threats. Children must be taught that whatever they put on the internet can and will be used by predators to extract information from them. They must be taught never to give out any personal information, addresses, and telephone numbers. They must learn not make arrangements to meet anybody without the parent’s prior knowledge and consent; even then it would be advisable to accompany the child to the rendezvous.
Parents must monitor what sites children are visiting or they are being left to a vicious game of hide and go seek. Children think they are hiding in the safety of their home at their computer but there are predators seeking all the time for some mischief to perform. There are no words which can be stressed loud enough or repeated often enough to illustrate the dangers of the internet. Although it is a very necessary medium of communication and source of information, used incorrectly it is dangerous and leaves teenagers and children vulnerable to abuse. The age, at which to stop monitoring will depend, inter alia, on how much internet guidance a child has had, how receptive the child has been to the counseling and how open the channels of communication between child and parents are.
Because teens are discovering their sexuality and feeling very inadequate they thrive on flattery and easily fall prey to compliments. It makes them feel invincible unless they have been counseled about the dangers out there. It would be impossible to teach children about all the threats on the internet but parents must implant indelibly warnings about providing unnecessary information. There is a constant barrage of unwanted pop-ups depicting and advertising drugs, violence and pornography which can influence a child’s inquiring mind. Advertisers are no longer only targeting children with toys, games and books but also lewd innuendos, pornography and violence
Make it easy for your child to trust you with difficult information and then be watchful for signs of trouble.
