INTERVIEW: HOW TO TEACH CHILDREN TO OPEN UP WHEN THEY ARE BEING SEXUALLY ABUSED
OR VIOLATED?
WE TEACH OUR YOUNG CHILDREN ALL SORTS OF WAYS TO KEEP THEMSELVES SAFE. WE
TEACH THEM TO WATCH THE HOT STOVE, WE TEACH THEM TO LOOK BOTH WAYS BEFORE
THEY CROSS THE STREET BUT, MORE OFTEN THAN NOT, BODY SAFETY IS NOT TAUGHT
UNTIL MUCH OLDER WHICH CAN SOMETIMES BE TOO LATE.
LAST WEEK, PEOPLE MARCHED THROUGH THE STREETS OF MATATIELE IN THE EASTERN
CAPE AND JOHANNESBURG’S CITY CENTRE, CALLING FOR JUSTICE FOR A SEVEN-YEAR-OLD
KNOWN ONLY AS “CWECWE” WHO WAS RAPED IN THE EASTERN CAPE IN OCTOBER. THIS
FOLLOWS DAYS OF PROTESTS AND OUTRAGE ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
IN DECEMBER THE CHILD’S MOTHER ACCUSED THE POLICE OF BEING SLOW TO ACT AFTER
THE CHILD WAS RAPED. THE CHILD WAS A LEARNER AT BERGVIEW COLLEGE, A PRIVATE
SCHOOL IN MATATIELE. THERE IS NO CONFIRMATION THAT THE CHILD WAS RAPED AT THE
SCHOOL.
TODAY WE SPEAK ABOUT HOW TO HELP YOUR CHILD SPEAK OUT ABOUT SEXUAL ABUSE
OR ANY OTHER VIOLATION THEY ENCOUNTER,
NOMSA PALESA RADEBE WHO IS AN EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGIST, AND FOUNDER &
CEO OF NEO-PSYCH SERVICES.