Breaking the cycle of child abuse

Get help when you need it

Taking care of your mental health and speaking out about your feelings and fears will help you to have an abusive free future.

Mental health help line: 1737 - free 24/7 - phone or text

Set your boundaries and respect other's boundaries

Boundaries are the limits you set, which define what kinds of behaviour are acceptable or unacceptable. Boundaries are important for both children and parents.

Protect your children

And teach them how to protect themselves

Nurture your children

There are lots of way to connect with children without touching them, like talking, playing, reading stories to them, helping them solve problems by themselves, and more.

However, affectionate, non-sexual touch through hugging, holding hands, and physical guidance when your child needs it are not abusive and are also important ways of nurturing your child.

Avoid harsh punishment

Use of punishment, such as spanking and humiliation, may de-sensitize your child to physical and emotional pain, making them more vulnerable to abuse. There is a lot of overlap between physical, emotional, and sexual abuse, and victims consistently report that emotional abuse is the most unbearable form, making them vulnerable to drug use to manage emotional pain.

Find the right relationship

These are some of the essential emotional needs. They vary from person to person.

• Affection
  Physical touch, sexual intimacy, loving words, kind gestures.
• Acceptance
  Knowing your partner accepts you as you are can help create a sense of belonging in the relationship.
• Security
  Means respecting your boundaries, feeling safe enough to share your feelings and feeling physically safe with them.
• Trust, Empathy and Connection

Learn techniques to calm yourself

Take several deep breaths. Count to 10. Take a walk. Listen to music. Think before you act, and when you do, practice collaborative communication with your child. Help your children to understand and make sense of their experiences. Encourage them to recognize and voice their emotions. This will help them to formulate their own coherent narrative throughout their lives, which can lead to increased psychological resilience and overall emotional well-being.

Educate yourself on the age appropriate behaviour of your child

If you learn what it is reasonable to expect from children of a particular age, you can save yourself a lot of frustration by having realistic expectations. For example, new-borns are not going to sleep through the night without a peep, and toddlers are not going to be able to sit quietly for extended periods of time.