Parents should teach their children to prevent sexual abuse from the age of 3.

Exactly one year ago, public opinion was outraged by the case of a 60-year-old man sexually abusing a child in Vung Tau. In another case, a 7-year-old girl was sexually abused in Saigon right in the classroom.

This year, a heartbreaking incident happened again in Hanoi, when Hoai Duc District Police were detaining a teacher who was accused by parents of sexually abusing nine third-grade students.

Dr. Vu Thu Huong - Faculty of Primary Education, Hanoi National University of Education - affirmed that teachers who sexually abuse many primary school students are unforgivable and must be expelled from the profession.

"At this time last year, classes teaching children how to prevent sexual abuse received widespread public support, attracting hundreds of students, but this year they have 'cooled down' a lot," said Dr. Huong.

The female doctor informed that many parents do not think that teaching anti-abuse skills needs to be repeated many times to create reflexes. Some parents now just follow the trend and then feel proud that they are on the right track.

Specifically, parents need to teach their children from the age of 3 about how to prevent sexual abuse according to their ability to understand.

The content that needs to be taught is that children need to ask permission from adults if they want to leave the house. Parents should have a “code” to communicate with their children to avoid kidnapping.

Parents tell children never to accept gifts from strangers. If anyone asks for help, children must run to an adult or the police because they are not capable of doing so themselves.

Parents should also remind their children to learn their relatives' phone numbers; not to gather curiously in public places; to go out with groups of 3-4 friends; not to go out alone after dark...

Parents always remind their children to never let anyone touch their private parts. When they see someone suspicious following them, they should immediately go to the police officer (if there is one) and ask him to take them home. If there is no police officer, they should choose the oldest woman who looks like she is going to the market to approach and ask questions. The bad guys will think the child has met a family member and leave.

If someone grabs a child, don't shout "save me!" but shout "the house is on fire" and run away.

Parents need to practice with their children in hypothetical situations of what they would do if they encountered a bad person, instead of threatening them about the risk of abuse, in the spirit of letting students practice happily and comfortably.

In fact, Vietnamese people have a bad habit of treating children as toys. They often show off, tease, and pinch children's bodies and consider it normal.

However, in some ways, this is abuse. This action often makes children unable to distinguish between good and bad, mistaking it as an expression of love. To better protect their children, parents need to change this habit.

Signs to recognize if a child is being sexually abused are panic, fear, sometimes the child is almost emotionally numb because of being too hurt.

Children will cry out when someone touches them, especially near sensitive parts. These are the most obvious signs that a child has been sexually abused.

In addition, accurate identification requires professional intervention by a physician.

Master Dao Le Hoa An - Vietnam Social Psychology Association - said it is important for parents to teach their children to regularly share situations, stories in class, and life problems when they get home.

“If children show unusual signs such as fear of going to school, parents need to sensitively ask for the reason and gently share so that the child can express the reason,” said Dr. Hoa An.

According to psychologists, parents today are very concerned about preventing sexual abuse for their children, but they do it half-heartedly, not thoroughly, and lack the skills and knowledge to communicate with their children. Only when an incident occurs that causes a stir in public opinion, do parents suddenly reconsider.

“Some parents even teach their children to hug and kiss strangers, while they themselves fondle their children’s sensitive areas. This makes it impossible for children to differentiate between loving behavior and abusive behavior,” said Mr. Hoa An.

Faced with a series of concerning issues regarding sexual abuse, puberty, and early sexual relations, Master Hoa Nam believes that it is necessary to emphasize sex education and life skills for children more than ever.

To do this, schools need to equip teachers with knowledge and establish on-site advisory groups. At the same time, they need to take advantage of parent meetings to help them gain skills and access educational issues.

In the unfortunate event that a family has a child who is sexually abused, parents need to affirm that the child is not at fault, but the person who caused the incident is at fault.

The consequences can make children become withdrawn, lack trust in others, always have fear and torment themselves. If children are mentally unstable and stressed, parents need to take them to psychological counseling.