Teaching children about self-protection from sexual abuse: could it be a cause for source monitoring errors and fantasy? (Two case reports)

Abstract

Background: Child sexual abuse, being most of the time a hidden crime that is kept lifelong undisclosed, was found to have strong influence on the victim. Unless a hard evidence (physical evidence, eyewitness, perpetrator confession) was present, decision on the case will depend solely on the child's account. In spite of efforts to get accurate information, children tend to mix events they have experienced with those seen on TV, heard in a story or even introduced by others while questioning about the event. Source monitoring error is the error in tagging information to its source and is a problem faced when interviewing very young children and when repeatedly rehearsing a false event. In Saudi Arabia, awareness programs were initiated and were distributed widely to educate families about consequences of abuse and the available facilities to seek if needed. These programs took part in social campaigns at malls, schools and media. Parents became more aware of the problem and concerned parents even took part in educating their children about self protection. Knowing that formal sexual health education is deficient in Saudi Arabia and in other Arab countries can put such programs in challenge. Case presentation: In this paper, two cases are presented of child sexual abuse allegations that raised the issue of source monitoring errors in children with over concerned mothers. The mothers admitted the fact that they are giving extensive detailed teaching to their girls about the sexual abuse. The possibilities of having source monitoring errors are discussed while highlighting the protocols of forensic interview and methods to minimize source monitoring errors. Conclusion: Teaching self protection against sexual abuse could be the first introduction of sexual issues to children and hence could lead to source monitoring errors and false allegation of child sexual assault.

Picture-Based Program for Raising Awareness of Preschool Children Regarding Self-Protection from Sexual Harassment

“…In similar line, Rahimi Khalifeh Kandi et al (11) demonstrated that the child must firmly reject any unwanted behavior by saying no says no firmly to any unwanted behavior and that they can talk to their parents or other trusted adults if upsetting something happens to them. However, Alsaifet al (26) found that teaching children how to defend themselves from sexual abuse may be their first exposure to sexual concerns and may therefore result in incorrect monitoring of child sexual assault. This is also in agreement with Aboelmagd et al (17) .…”

Optimizing parental care in preventing bullying behavior in children in Wonokromo Surabaya Village

“…The explanation of these satisfactory results suggests that empowerment programs through parental education should be continuously improved and receive further support from the community. The role of mothers in the primary education of children, as emphasized in the theory (Alsaif et al, 2018), is increasingly highlighted and appreciated in efforts to create a safe and friendly environment for children in the Wonokromo sub-district, Surabaya. Satisfactory results were also evident in the parents' ability to actively listen and provide feedback by asking and answering questions during education sessions through leaflet media between the community engagement team from UNUSA's Faculty of Nursing and parents in the RW 2 Wonokromo area.…”

“…The explanation of these satisfactory results suggests that empowerment programs through parental education should be continuously improved and receive further support from the community. The role of mothers in the primary education of children, as emphasized in the theory (Alsaif et al, 2018), is increasingly highlighted and appreciated in efforts to create a safe and friendly environment for children in the Wonokromo sub-district, Surabaya.…”

Edukasi Seksual Pada Orangtua Anak Usia Dini dan Pelatihan Edukasi Mandiri Pelecehan Seksual Pada Bunda PAUD

“…Hal tersebut sesuai dengan teori bahwa tidak ada satu jenis pekerjaan yang menandingi beratnya tugas keibuan. Peran ibu dinilai sebagai peran tak tergantikan dalam pendidikan pertama pertama bagi anak-anaknya (Alsaif, Almadani, Almoghannam, Al-Farayedhi, & Kharoshah, 2018;Indah, 2020;Neherta & Nurdin, 2017;Roqib, 2018).…”