Abuse is something that no child should have to endure. It robs them of a normal childhood and can be disruptive to their mental state and emotions. Seeing as all children are vulnerable to some extent, it becomes the role of the parents or guardians to ensure they are well protected. With the way most people’s daily lives are set up, it’s almost impossible to be with your child and watch over them every second of the day. You, however, can take a number of precautions to ensure that they’re safe and not in harm’s way. This article is going to explore some of the ways that you can protect vulnerable children from abuse.

Monitor Their Movements at All Times

Depending on their age, children can tend to move around a lot. If they aren’t zooming up and down the house, then they may be likely to be having a conversation with a familiar person or sometimes a stranger. It is, therefore important that you try your best to monitor their movements constantly. You should always know where they are and who they’re talking to, whether they’re with you or not.

In this technological age, it seems that younger children are getting access to the internet. This opens up doors and gives child abusers and sex offenders access to children of younger ages. You should make it a priority to monitor who your kids are talking to and interacting with via the internet. This means that if they have tablets connected to the internet, for instance, you should make it a priority to regularly go through their search history and check who they’re messaging through their games as well. Child violence, exploitation and abuse are said to often practiced by someone the child knows like a teacher, parent, caretaker, relative or law enforcement authorities. For this reason, you should monitor everyone who is around your child even if they don’t seem as though they’re a threat.

Teach Them About Abuse

Children are often both innocent and naïve, so teaching them about what abuse is can never be done too early. You could start by telling them what behavior is appropriate and which isn’t and why. There are a number of ways to go about this which include using demonstrations, pictures, and personal references. The important thing is that you help them understand what abuse is and how to respond if they feel it may be happening to them. By teaching kids about abuse and sexual harassment, you’ll help them be able to both identify it and come forward if, at all, it ever does happen. Some key things you can teach them include knowing what their private parts are and that they shouldn’t be touched by anyone, giving them tips for safe places and letting them know that it is okay to say no. It may take a boost of confidence to get them to the point that they’re comfortable enough to confidently say no, however, with time and teaching them to constantly communicate how they feel, you can build such confidence.

Spend Quality Time with Them

The importance of spending quality with your children cannot be emphasized enough. There are studies that show that there are links between quality parent time and positive outcomes for kids. Quality time could include taking walks, having dinner with the kids, playing games with them, and indulging in dessert. When you do this, you may find that they begin to talk to you more and feel far more comfortable around you. As a result, you may find that they’re ready to open up about sensitive issues that are making them feel vulnerable and you can find ways to help them address it.

Be Responsible for Transporting Them Around

Abuse can happen in moments you least expect it, so being vigilant and not leaving any opportunity for it to happen is key. One of the ways that you can do this is by being responsible for transporting them around. Where possible, try and reduce the occurrences where other people pick your child up or drop them off at places as it’s a perfect opportunity for them to take advantage. Some of the children who are most vulnerable to abuse are said to be those who are disabled, orphans, and those from marginalized groups.  If, for instance, you have a disabled child, you should consider finding handicap vehicles for sale and buying one that you can use to take your child around as opposed to leaving it to other people or sources.

Listen to What They Say

Kids are usually brutally honest, so listening to what they have to say is key in knowing what’s going on with them. You should try and avoid invalidating the thoughts and concerns that they share otherwise, they may be reluctant to share with you again. Building trust in children is just as important as it is to build it with adults. By making them feel secure, they will be more comfortable talking to you in both exciting and more challenging times. Many children suffer ongoing abuse because they reported it and nobody took it seriously. Telling a child that they’re lying or making stories up when they’re sharing a moment as intimate as abuse could make them feel alone and rejected. You should, therefore, always try and hear what they have to say and make it your duty to get to the bottom of it.

The world that we live in is often unfair, and unfortunately, people don’t always get justice when bad things happen to them. However, in order to prevent the prevalence of bad things such as abuse in the first place, you should try and make educating your kids and protecting them to the best of your abilities of utmost importance. There are many ways to approach this objective and at the foundation of all of them is building an open line of communication between yourself and your child. When you do so, you may find that your kids are more open and as a result, you’re able to stop abuse before it begins.