"If the story helps prevent even one instance of sexual abuse, it will have been worthwhile."

"This project stems from the desire to have more resources to prevent sexual abuse and child maltreatment. Although I am not a specialist in this field, a few years ago I published the book Relationships, Experiences and Psychopathology: The Relational Bases of Excessive Mental Suffering with Antoni Talarn and Francesc Sáinz, which addressed these relationships in part and explained how, unfortunately, there are children and adolescents who live in constant abuse, in inadequate family situations that can alter their psychological development and make them more vulnerable to mental health disorders and other difficulties."

The idea, ultimately, was to have a resource to establish fundamental sex education from the beginning of schooling and on an ongoing basis. If the story helps prevent even one instance of sexual abuse, it will have been worthwhile. In schools, we often talk about early detection in this and other areas, but we must also focus on primary prevention.

“When I set out to write this story, I knew I didn’t want to create a scary story, like most classic children’s tales, nor a book in the style of ‘My Body Is Mine,’ which are all well and good, but more like lectures on concepts such as private parts than stories. What I wanted was to represent abuse or another type of mistreatment metaphorically, also taking into account the child’s developmental stage, as they will identify different things depending on their age. For example, I did some role-playing sessions with four-year-olds. They understood that there is a bad character, the woodpecker, and a good character, the tree. They perfectly understood that the woodpecker didn’t respect the tree and grasped the idea that we must set limits on things we don’t like, that we can say ‘no,’ ‘stop,’ ‘I don’t like it,’ and that we can ask for help.”

The foundations in early childhood education are more general, although we should start not ignoring physical aspects. If we can talk to children about eyes, ears, or feet, why can't we talk about the vulva or the penis? These are anatomical aspects that continue to be silenced.

"Yes, of course. Children connect with their feelings and what they are going through by identifying with the characters in the story. Situations they haven't been able to process can surface because their brain is, in a way, still developing. Depending on the moment, a child might identify with the strong or weak character, feel joy, sadness, fear, confusion, pain... Furthermore, they can experience it with a certain distance, which helps them process their concerns, fears, and strengths."

" Emotional education is already being addressed in the early years of primary school, covering topics such as empathy, relationships with others, feelings, etc., but in relation to sexual abuse, I believe that, being a structural problem in society, it is still a very silenced issue. We look the other way, as if the problem didn't exist."

In the early years of preschool and primary school, this work is done across the curriculum, but when the educational curriculum becomes more demanding, it becomes very difficult to find time to discuss these issues, to have personalized tutoring sessions, to meet regularly with families... We try, but everything becomes more complicated and also depends on each person's role within the system. One of my goals is to develop tools that help find this balance between the curricular and emotional aspects, which will support children throughout their lives.

I think reflection and work at the community and societal level are necessary to give this issue the importance it deserves. Educating and informing children helps prevent sexual abuse , so adults have a great responsibility.

"I suppose one of the first things is to give emotional abuse or neglect the recognition it deserves. Often, unconsciously, we minimize these situations. At school, for example, we respond very clearly when there is a situation of physical aggression, but the same doesn't happen with other situations that may be masking emotional abuse. If we change this attitude, we are also teaching children the importance of relational abuse."

When we address bullying , for example, children clearly understand what physical and verbal abuse means, but they find it much harder to talk about relational abuse, and because these situations are more subtle, they can be quite disarming for the person experiencing them. It's clear that physical abuse is the most visible, but all forms of abuse can "break" us, either physically or psychologically.

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"The guide describes the three protagonists and what they represent. Based on the dynamic child psychology of projectives, the tree, which represents the child, has several parts: the trunk represents the body and the crown the mind. The fact that the woodpecker, which is the alleged abuser, is drilling into the trunk represents this attack on the child's body."

We've included a series of questions designed to encourage reflection on the story, helping children become aware of the characters' actions and consider what they themselves might do. I believe discussing this topic benefits both children and adults, as it allows them to share an often-discussed subject that is sometimes difficult to approach calmly.

Regarding its use depending on the context, it will clearly differ. At school, if we tell the story to a class group, it can help us see what the children know or don't know, analyze the situation, and talk generally about what is right and wrong. The dynamic at home is different; it's more intimate and trusting, allowing for deeper exploration. The child will likely be more relaxed and less afraid to share their feelings. In professional settings, however, one must be very cautious and sensitive if using it to observe the reactions of children suspected of being victims of abuse; space must be given, without forcing anything.