New resources to help young children in Singapore protect themselves from sexual abuse

The course fee is $5.45 for the first 4,000 students and $10.90 thereafter.

After completing the course, educators and caregivers can access a new protective behavior curriculum and handbook, which guides them in teaching children to protect themselves from sexual abuse.

The resource kit also includes a mobile game, Garden of Safety, which launched in February to educate children about protective behavior.

The game was developed by Pave and SUSS and teaches children how to respond when their safety is threatened. The free app can be downloaded from the Google Play Store.

Another part of the kit is a two-minute Garden of Safety animation video, launched in August 2023 to teach body safety rules and protective behavior.

Since its founding in 1999, Pave has helped more than 37,000 clients escape abuse.

One of them is Kelly (not her real name), who was nine when she first experienced physical abuse from her mother and sexual abuse from her stepfather. When she finally gathered the courage to confide in her mother, she responded negatively.

At the age of 12, the sexual assault escalated to rape. During a sex education class at school, she asked a question about sexual assault but still did not report her case. She also started to self-harm.

Eventually, Kelly confided in her teacher. This led to the involvement of the police and Child Protection. She received treatment, including counseling and group therapy.

Kelly, now 33, told the media: “It is important that you emerge stronger and do not repeat the generational cycle of abuse.”

The workplace safety professional, who is married with two young children, added: “The most important thing is that your child knows that you will believe him or her when he or she comes to you.

‘Don’t worry about what’s coming. Just make a report and know that there are many people who want to help. So the most important thing to do is first remove yourself from the toxic environment and then seek help for your own recovery.”

Another survivor Daisy (not her real name) witnessed her older brother molesting her younger sister. She and her siblings also endured years of physical abuse at the hands of their father, including stomping, whipping and having hot water poured on them.

Daisy’s mother was careful not to report the abuse, fearing reactions from her husband and son. The family called the police after a violent episode in October 2023 and was linked to Pave.

The family obtained a protective order against the father. Pave also supported the victim in filing a complaint against her brother, and the case is currently under investigation.

Daisy, who is now 26 and works as a nursery teacher, said: “If you see someone who is a victim of abuse, don’t stay silent and please contact someone. Because if you remain silent, the abuse will not stop and other people can also become victims.”