SINGAPORE, May 29 (Xinhua) -- A picture book on preventing child sexual abuse was launched here Wednesday at the independent bookstore Woods in the Books.
Called "Jun and the Octopus," the story follows the story of Jun, a boy who confronts his fears and finds the courage to tell his parents about a sexual abuse incident.
The book is authored by Goh Eck Kheng, illustrated by Lim An-ling and published by Singapore Children's Society (SCS), an organization with a mission to protect and nurture children and youths in need. Imbued with a distinct Asian flavor and with a folktale setting, this sets it apart from more Western-oriented books that deal with the subject matter of sexual abuse.
Parents often do not speak openly about sexual abuse as they do not know how to broach the topic, said Lin Xiaoling, deputy director of the advocacy and research department at SCS, adding that there are also few local resources to tap on.
"Parents often ask when is the right time to start, (thinking) the children may be too young and don't understand… but actually children understand a lot more (than we think they do), and it is us adults who are not comfortable with sharing," she said.
Illustrator Lim said she had made a conscious effort to ensure that the book's illustrations were "not too scary" for the children and to maintain a sense of optimism.
On how parents should approach this topic with their children, Lin said parents should address private body parts with the proper terms and speak in a factual manner, instead of "giving them cutesy pet names" or trying to "skirt around the issue."
As children digest information in bite-sized portions, it is equally important for parents to continually revisit the topic and using teachable moments in their everyday life.
"(Most importantly) we need to listen to our children and give them the time and space to (look out for) what they are trying to tell us," she added.
"Jun and the Octopus" is on sale for 18 Singapore dollars (about 13 US dollars) at selected bookstores. In the pipeline are plans for the English book to be translated into several other languages and for it to travel regionally.
At the launch event, child beneficiaries from Student Care @ Children's Society joined in a reading conducted by Goh, who is the founder of publishing house Landmark Books.
The storybook is the SCS' latest addition to its slew of initiatives to protect children.
Since 2000, it has been conducting KidzLive: I Can Protect Myself -- a programme aimed at imparting body safety skills to children aged four to six years, and is currently offered at preschool centres.
In recent years, the number of sexual abuse allegations involving children has been on the rise in Singapore.
Singapore's Ministry of Social and Family Development's (MSF) Child Protective Service investigated 248 allegations of child sexual abuse in 2018 -- more than quadruple that of 45 allegations in 2009.
In May, Singapore passed a bill that would result in sweeping reforms in its Penal Code to ensure better protection for children and young persons.
