Give your children the air of freedom that will enable them to reveal their personal
Until recently, the attention and care of the society and family were focused on the girls. We trained and nurtured our girls with the view that sooner or later they are to be a part of another family. At the same time, we never attached that much serious- ness in the grooming of our boy chil- dren. But, in the contemporary world, the scenario has undergone a change. It is high time that we give due attention to our boy children just in the same de- gree we give to our girl children.
You think that the safety of your girl child is very important, while you leave the safety of your boy child to his own responsibility. It is high time to recon- sider this notion. This is a time in which girls and boys are sexually exploited alike. While the sexual exploitation of girls often hit the news headlines, the exploitation of boys seldom gets due attention.
According to UNICEF statistics, 54.68% out of 69% children who un- dergo domestic sexual exploitation are boys. This is indeed a shocking revela- tion!
Some of the recent news confirms this fact. A ten year old boy and his 12 year old sister were simultaneously raped by another teenager, who was their cousin. The mother of the children was ill; their father was away too.
The teenager-convict had come there under the pretext of taking care of the household matters. Unbelievable things followed. Perhaps, like every oth- er mothers, that mother too must have been keen on her daughter. But, about her son, she might not have had the least clue. It is such situations that make boys more vulnerable.
Nowadays, it has become common that boys who are sent to the shops are sexually exploited. We must educate our boy children about such lurking dangers when they are young. We often have no clue or doubt when we send our boys to sleep with uncles and cousins who pay a visit to our house, due to the lack of bed space in the house. But, we must be aware of the potential dangers hidden in such situations.
Only if we give a warning to our boys about such dangers will they will have the courage to inform us whenever some sexual exploitation or harassment occurs in their lives. Otherwise they will be confused if such things could be re- vealed to their parents, and they will be prone to hide them within. That will lead to further exploitation.
It will be too late when eventually they reveal such things during the coun- seling sessions of child line activists. By the time, the predator would have gone in search of new victims.
In short, educate our children about the sexual exploitations that are taking place around us. Make them aware that even though the world as a whole is good, everyone in the world is not good, and that some people might exploit them sexually.
Give your children the air of freedom that will enable them to reveal their per- sonal matters to you.
