CSAAM April 2011-How soon is it to begin teaching your child about the touch to be avoided

The brat was all of around three something or nearing four when I took matters seriously and sat him down for a detailed conversation on the touch. "Brat," I told him. "Your nu nu and your bum are places where no one should touch you. Nor should you touch anyone's nu nu or bum."
He nodded wisely. I soldiered on bravely. "If anyone touches you there, say no. Dont let them. Shout loudly. Scream. Tell them that you will tell your mamma. Okay?"
He nodded again, in familiar wise manner. "Okay."
"Did you understand me?" I asked again. "Yes, mamma," he said and bounded off to play with some action figure who I had heartlessly employed in being demo model for parts of the body off limits to any adult. Apart from Mamma.

A few days later I got a frantic call at work from Nana who was babysitting the brat for the day. "Talk to him," she said in a resigned tone. "Tell him I am allowed to wash his bum. He's been sitting on the pot for almost an hour refusing to let me touch his bum."

I hastily informed the brat that Nana and Daadi were allowed to touch the bum for post potty washing sessions or to bathe him if mamma was not around. The lesson, I was glad to know, was clear. He had assimilated it.

Now that he is older, he has been sat down with the Visual Encyclopedia and shown the parts of the body which are offlimits for any adult to touch. Any adult. And any older child. Because we have had instances within the building complexes of the older children preying on the younger child. But that's another topic and another post.

This post is about when is the right time to start talking to your child about the good touch/bad touch or the safe/unsafe touch as the NGOs these days are calling it.
I would say as soon as the child begins to understand the parts of the body, can understand what you are trying to say and can inform you if anything happens.

This link: http://www.thomashaller.com/PAwhatchildrenshouldknow.html
has some interesting age appropriate points made and I quote:
Age 2 to 3
Between the ages of 2 and 3 (the toilet training years) is a good time to talk about bodily function and to foster positive attitudes about body parts.  How you react and respond may have the greatest impact on what your child learns during this time.  For example, young children think that bowel movements are part of their bodies.  If they are told that bowel movements are bad, they may feel that they are bad too (ACOG Patient Education Pamphlet).  This age is also a time to teach children about who can touch them and where and how to tell a parent or adult if they have been touched in a way that has made them uncomfortable.
By the end of this stage children should:

• have a positive attitude about bodily functions
• have an understanding of bodily functions
• know about “good touch/bad touch”
• know who can touch them and where
• know how to tell a parent or adult if they have been touched in a way that has made them uncomfortable
• know that they are lovable and why

It is never too early to teach your children about their bodies, and that no one has the authority to touch their bodies. The earlier the better I say. Don't ever be the ostrich with your head in the sand assuming that sex abuse will not happen with your child. The statistics out there prove that 53 percent of children have been sexually abused, boys as much as girls. The age of abuse starts from as early as 2 and the maximum abuse happens between 5 and 12, and this is the age when the child understands and can communicate. Talk to your child. As much as you can. Use a doll, use a visual image of the human body, gently talk about body parts and explain that if someone does touch them on the parts which are their private parts they should not allow it and they need to come and tell you or whoever is the closest adult-maybe a teacher if it happens in school.  Empower your child to say no, I dont like this.
Remember the three best words you can teach your child are No/Stop/Tell. They might just scare off a potential molester from harming your child.