#PNN E-Mentoring (Taiwo Akinlami): Personal Safety/Self Protection For Teenagers: Guidelines To Responses (3)

Welcome to this page my dear young friends. Sure your weekend went well and you are warming up for a bright new day and week. I am very excited to be with you.

Having spent time to share with you what constitutes sexual abuse for like two weeks, I will proceed to share with you how you can protect yourself from sexual abuse.

I charge you to pay SERIOUS ATTENTION to the following

I. Watch your body Language: you must not be saying one thing and your body language is saying another. Avoid touches that are capable of arousing you or put you in the mood for sex.

II. Conditioning of your mind through Media: be careful the kind of music you listen to and the movies you watch. First, do not listen to music or watch movies, which are meant for adults. Such music and movies confuses your mind and prepares you for what you are not prepared for

III. Protection of Personal Space/Privacy: protect your space. For example always shut the door when you are in the toilet. When you are alone at home, make sure you lock the doors so that intruders will not come in

IV.Rolling with Strangers: do not move with strangers or befriend a strangers

V. Conversation-Suggestive statements from mates and elders: do not allow any person, mates or elders to make suggestive statement to you like calling you his wife or her husband

VI.  Avoid isolated terrain: do not go to isolated places alone or go with the opposite sex to an isolated place particularly in the night. Hold your discussions in the open.

VII. What about consensual sexual relationship between children/teenagers: sex is not meant for children and teenagers. They are meant for married man and woman.

VIII.  Suspect all who gives you the slightest reason to suspect them…Including family and friends: if someone makes strange moves, touches you in strange places or makes strange statements to you, please do not just overlook it. Please report.

IX. Report suspected persons and be definite and serious about your reporting

X.  Where your report is not treated with the seriousness it deserves, follow-up and take it higher

XI.  Dress Code: what’s the purpose of dressing? Pay attention to what you wear. Rape will never be excused or justified on the basis of what a teenager wears but she may protect herself by virtue of what she wears.

XII. In respect of Consensual Sexual Relationship, strike the balance between REASONING and INSTINCT: you are a reasoning being while animals are instinct being. Before you settle for consensual sex count the cost and consequences and put them side by side the brief pleasure.

I think I should sign out here. I will continue with you next week when I will share with you how to protect yourself from other forms of abuse. I look forward to receiving you then on this same page. Remember, I am available on this platform for interaction. Do have an INSPIRED week. Stay SMART!