Iranian Parent-Child Agreement on Private Body Part Names

Introduction Knowledge of the correct names of private parts is one of the main axes of children's personal safety programing and a first step in potentially preventing or disclosing sexual abuse in children. Parent–child agreement (shared terminology) on the correct names of private body parts is critical for effective communication and an important first step in child sexual abuse prevention. This study examined the words used by parents and children for private body parts to ascertain agreement. Methods This was a prospective descriptive and quantitative study conducted during early to mid-2021. Parents and their preschool children in Gorgan, Iran (N = 134) were individually interviewed about the names of the private body parts to determine the level of agreement between them. Conducted at community health centers for convenience, parents were shown a schematic drawing of a child and asked to provide the names they had taught their children for their private parts while separately using the same drawing, children were asked to provide the names they have been taught. Results Sixty-nine percent of all parents stated that they have taught their children names for their private parts (i.e., breast, buttocks and genital area). Twenty-six percent of parents taught the correct names of all three private parts to their children, while 34% of children knew the correct names for all three private parts. The frequency of agreement between children and parents in correctly naming all private parts was 20.7%. Conclusion The results show that children and parents have limited knowledge about the correct names of private body parts resulting in low agreement among them. More children knew correct names for all three private parts than their parents. This finding may be related to children being educated in spaces other than their family environment and parents’ reluctance to teach the correct names. Since parents, especially mothers, play an important role in protecting their children from sexual abuse, their key role in socializing children and educating them about CSA is undeniable. Policy Implications This empirical evidence can contribute to the development of education and child sexual abuse prevention programs for both parents and children, tailored to Iran or other countries with similar cultural mores.