“The child is never to blame. No rape victim is to blame! Full responsibility lies with the person who committed the crime. And yet, even when we tell a child “don’t let anyone touch your genitals” instead of “no one can touch your genitals”, we convey a sense of responsibility to him. OUR Lina Likomitrua psychologist who has been studying her phenomenon for years sexual harassment of children and adolescentscame to the conclusion that sex education is the most effective “shield” against such attacks. Through the “Touch and Limits” campaign, which he founded with psychologists and theater educators, they “teach” children how to protect their bodies through play and theatre.

“A child can be so strengthened that he is not chosen as a victim. When the abuser sees that the child knows that his whole body is private, not just the genital area, that he cannot be touched unless he wants to, that his house has private spaces, such as a toilet and a bedroom. whom we adhere to the rules of confidentiality, and of course, when he has a significant emotional connection with his parents, then this child was excluded from the list of his victims,” emphasizes Ms. Likomitru. In fact, sex education starts from infancy. “The way we touch our children is how they learn to normalize touch. For example, when we kiss them on the lips, we send them a message that an adult they love and trust, that is, even a future abuser, can kiss them on the lips.

Of course, it has never been easy to talk to families about sex education and information. “Many parents want to be informed, but others still consider it taboo even though it is a matter of the child’s health. Unfortunately, there is a thought or belief that “I know how to protect my child because he never talks to strangers anyway” or “I told him not to let anyone touch him.” However, the statistics follow us. In Greece, one in six children will experience some form of sexual abuse in their lifetime, and in 9 out of 10 cases, the perpetrator is a person belonging to a close friend or relative.”

“Shell, it’s not your fault!”

A few weeks ago, Touch and Limits published a child sexual abuse prevention story, Shell, You’re Not Guilty! (published by Metaihmio) with the hero, a cute little clam who has a nasty experience on the bottom from his close friend, the Crab. The symbolism is clear: “Bullys are people kids know, trust and love, so it’s easy for them to approach and manipulate them to get them to ‘come out of their shell’.” explain “K” the authors of the fairy tale (Maya Miriam Papageorgiou, Filippi Ruvali, Natasha Rustani, Gloria Hodia). The bottom context also symbolizes the emotional isolation of the victim. “The bully makes the child feel like they can’t and shouldn’t talk to their family about what happened.” As they say, the story aims to give the child the opportunity to say “no” to touch that makes him feel bad and scared, and not feel like he is at fault for the incident, and to motivate him to immediately talk to someone to whom he trusts.

Sex education of children can also break their silence. “Children don’t know very basic information, like calling their genitals by their real medical names,” adds Ms Likomitru. “Besides, in a family where the concept of sex was never discussed and was not considered something dirty and shameful, how is a child going to bring up this topic?”

What do we do when a child trusts us with such an event? “We believe! The child has already fought a very long battle to be able to trust someone else!”

Shell, It’s Not Your Fault! includes additional materials for parents and educators with practical exercises that can be used with the child, delving into the prevention and awareness of child sexual abuse.