Sex education for early years and elementary children: What should parents and teachers do?

According to statistics from the Ministry of Public Security, in 2020, the number of children being sexually abused in our country has reached 1576 cases. Many of that abuse comes from their own family members or relatives.

Sadly, many of the victims are still in preschool and primary school. So how do children at this age have self-defense skills, as well as abuse prevention skills? Let’s read the sharing post below from International school Saigon Pearl (ISSP) which is the high-quality education and prestigious international school of Ho Chi Minh City.

Sex education is not just a lesson for adults

For many parents, sex education (SE) is a rather sensitive topic, and children at early year and elementary age are not yet suitable to learn about this topic. However, experts on sex education say that this topic should be carried out as soon as possible. Depending on age, children will be provided with different concepts and knowledge.

According to Cory Silverberg (an educator and author of many books on sex education for children such as What Makes A Baby, Sex Is A Funny Word), children under 2 years old need to know the correct names of the genitals, where is the appropriate place to touch private areas; at the age group from 2 to 5, children need to know how babies are made, when to be allowed to touch others and vice versa; the age group from 6 to 8 years old needs to know about the changes of the body during puberty; 9 – 11 years old is a good time to know more specifically what safe sex and activities are.

In fact, nowadays, in Vietnam, many preschools and primary schools have included the topic of sex education in their curriculum.

Ms. Kristin Wegner – Advisor, Student Support Coordinator and Head of School Safety at International School Saigon Pearl (ISSP) of Ho Chi Minh City – said: “At ISSP, each school age is different. There will be different content of sex education. Not only are we talking about it with words, we are also setting up real-life situations to teach children how to defend themselves. They also are taught to disagree or yell at people around when someone touches their body.

Although it is very simple knowledge, it will create important foundation for more detailed lessons on sex education later. At the same time, in some cases, children will also avoid being abused by themselves when their parents are not around.”

Promoting honesty and two-way interaction

When asked “where am I born”, many children have received answers such as from the armpit, from the navel, or picked up on the street, etc. There are even worse situations like the case of Mr. Quan’s family at District 11 of Ho Chi Minh City. He said his 4-year-old daughter refused to go to the toilet at school just because her grandmother said that children are created when the urine of two different people is mixed.

Because of psychological apprehension, some parents often avoid naming the genitals correctly when talking to their children. Ms. Kristin explains, “The correct naming of the genitals not only helps children understand their own body correctly, but in the case of abuse, the children can also clearly narrate it to parents and relatives.

Parents should not avoid in teaching children about sex education. In case of difficulty in naming terms, parents can refer to more information from sex education books for children or consult a doctor, psychologist, or teacher teaching this subject at school.”

In addition, at the early years and elementary agel, children are always curious about everything, they tend to ask questions at any time. Parents and teachers should answer children’s questions honestly and can simplify the answers to be appropriate for their age. It is important that parents and teachers absolutely tell the truth so that children do not misunderstand information.

In case that the children do not ask questions, parents and teachers can also ask questions to make sure their understanding is correct. Parents can take advantage of everyday moments to pique children’s curiosity. For example, when taking a bath, it will be the right time to talk about body parts; when a TV program shows a pregnant woman, parents may ask children about the baby like how a baby is made and discuss with them.

Openness is the key

Children do not dare to tell the truth, which is the main reason many children are sexually abused for a long before they are discovered. This mentality comes from the fact that children consider this to be a sensitive issue, they do not dare to speak and do not know how to tell it with their parents.

From the perspective of a teacher, Ms. Kristin said, the easiest way to recognize a children’s instability is to let them take the initiative to speak out. “The feeling of safety is an important factor in determining whether children are willing to share or not. Therefore, at International School Saigon Pearl (ISSP), teachers and educators always strive to communicate openly and share to bond with students. The purpose is to give children a sense of security and trust when they want to say something.” – added Miss Kristin.

Ms. Kristin emphasized that sex education is a long process. There must be close coordination and a unified method between the family and the school. Regularly providing materials as well as organizing seminars on the topic of sex education is how International School Saigon Pearl (ISSP) has done to follow up with parents in teaching sex education for children.

Source: tuoitre.vn