Talking about the birds and bees might not always be the most comfortable talk to have with your children. But Maura Jarldane from the Midland Rape Crisis and Children's Advocacy Center says it's important to teach children appropriate and inappropriate touching.
An example of where the no-touch zones are places that are covered.
"Anything in the genital area. Anything that a bathing suit would cover, if that is being touched or manipulated, whether it's dance or sports, would be a cause for concern," said Jarldane.
There are also a few red flags to consider if your child doesn't want to go to a certain place. The crisis center says to ask more questions about why they are afraid.
"If they are really anxious about going somewhere to a certain place, if they are avoiding certain things. If they are a young or regressive type of behavior, whether it's like thumb sucking or having toileting problems, like wetting the bed, and older kids could cut and could do other types of self-mutilation," said Jarldane.
Jarldane also says another red flag is if there is a change in behavior in the way your child acts.
"If they are usually outgoing, if they suddenly become withdrawn mostly sudden change in behavior, whether it's sleeping too much or sleeping too little. The same with eating too much or not eating at all," said Jarldane.
If you have any question and need to reach out, you can call Harmony Home Children's Advocacy Center, located at 910 Grant Ave, Odessa, TX, 79761 or you can call (432) 333-5233. You can also contact the Midland Rape Crisis and Children's Advocacy Center, located at 1700 N Big Spring St, Midland, TX, 79701 or you can call (432) 682-7273.
