Take 2: Questions to ask children behaving inappropriately

Delicate questioning can yield a lot of information from children who are behaving strangely

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Delicate questioning can yield a lot of information from children who are behaving strangely.

Sexually inappropriate behaviour among very young children is often reported by adults without much supporting information, which can lead to the problem being ignored, says the late Emeritus Professor Freda Briggs of the University of South Australia.

Proper questioning of children before reporting the incident can indicate the seriousness of the issue, she says in the following video, taken in July 2015.

“Teachers often tell me, ‘I reported and it’s a waste of time’. But if you can’t pass sufficient information on, of course, it isn’t a priority.”

[media_embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Naa1_MpaNo[/media_embed]

“If children are behaving sexually inappropriately, instead of showing your disgust, confusion, ask how do you play that game, where do you play, who else is there,” she says.

Instead of asking children what they are keeping secret, teachers can ask whether something is a secret, who else knows the secret and what will happen if the child tells.