Parents, we know you worry about your little one. And while everything usually turns out fine, it pays to be vigilant at all times. Unexpected traumatic childhood events can cause the worst of parents’ nightmares and can occur in the most common of public places. Recently, a case of a child victim of sexual harassment in an elevator shows that we, as parents, can never let our guard down.
Man shows penis to little girl in elevator
In Shanghai, China, recent camera footage obtained from an elevator shows what appears to be a food delivery employee deliberately showing his penis to an eight year old girl who was in the lift with him. What’s worse is that when the little girl tries to shun the grotesque view, the pervert repositions himself so that she can see it.
Here is a screenshot of the incident in question (to view the video, click here).
Parents, do take note that elevators are hidden from the public eye and hence can be used by predators to assault or harass children.
The police have been notified of such an incident and are currently conducting an investigation of the matter.
It’s become much clearer that public spaces, especially isolated ones like elevators, are become increasingly dangerous for our little ones. How, then, should we protect our little ones from traumatising incidents like this?
Tips for parents to protect their kids
Here are some tips that might help prevent such incidents from taking place.
Protective Measures
- Never allow young children to access places alone or unsupervised. Ensure that a trustworthy adult, if not yourself, is accompanying the child to potentially dangerous or isolated areas.
- Following from the first point, always know who they’re going out with, and where they are going. Be sure that you know your little one’s friends and they’re parents if you are visiting them. Also ensure that places and the people using them are reliable and safe.
- Teach children to seek help if they think something is wrong. Tell your kids to ask other grown ups for help should strangers or other adults approach, touch their bodies, harass or molest them. If they are find a behaviour disturbing or uncomfortable, or are unsure if it’s wrong, tell them to ask another grown up for help.
How to find out if something seems off
- Encourage your kids to open up to you. Young children will not understand the dangers that some adults may pose, and may find it difficult to run away ore refuse an offer. A better alternative would be to talk to them frequently and develop trust so they can confide any problems they may have.
- Know the signs. If you notice your child not sleeping, eating, feeling or behaving as they normally would, they could be affected by a recent incident.
- Look for red flags. Does the suspicious adult seem to be overly nice to your kids? Does he have local kids coming into his house frequently? These could be signs of a potential child predator. If he has no friends and meets the above criteria, it’s possible that you are looking at a paedophile.
- Take action. If you think your kids have been sexually molested or harassed, contact the Police or dial 995. The relevant authorities will conduct a proper investigation on the alleged incident and take proper action. Do NOT investigate incidents on your own.
We at theAsianparent hope that this information was useful in protecting your children from unsavoury characters and traumatic childhood experiences. We hope that your own children will never become a child victim of sexual harassment.
References: Medium.com, Psychology today