Tesehki and Chrisean Sit Down: How to Talk to Your Child About Inappropriate Touching

*Trigger Warning

By now, we have all seen the Baddies: Midwest trailer that aired on the Zeus Network a few nights ago, featuring—without a trigger warning—a confession from Chrisean Rock to her sister, Latifa Tesehki Malone, most popularly known as Tesehki. In the clip, Rock is heard saying, “I remember when I was seven, you made me eat your pu**y.”

This one line from an almost five-minute trailer is making waves across social media, along with a video of a woman stating that if Kamala Harris is elected president, she will be taking her son out of public school, and another young lady who posted a video of her helping her child with homework, where the result of what appeared to be an acrostic puzzle said, “Can I sit on his lap.” The mother who posted the video is not sure whose lap is being referenced in the child’s homework assignment, but her concern prompted her to post an awareness video online.

In the United States, child abuse is a deeply concerning issue affecting a significant number of children each year. Based on studies and reports from the CDC, approximately 1 in 4 girls and 1 in 13 boys in the U.S. experience sexual abuse at some point before the age of 18. Over 90% of child sexual abuse victims know their abuser, with the abuse often occurring within the family or close social circles. Additionally, children are most vulnerable between the ages of 7 and 13.

Tesehki, of course, has since clapped back, stating that the allegations made against her by her sister are false and that the abuse happened to her and another one of their sisters, which Rock is just using as a storyline for herself, making the abuse her own. Since making an appearance on Baddies, the sisters have gone head-to-head, with Rock getting her jumped and Tesehki making it clear that she is no longer interested in having a relationship with Chrisean. While many people are fans of the show, this incident did cut a bit deep, and think pieces have emerged with popular creators weighing in and journalists like myself giving an informative input.

Though the numbers are scary, only about 38% of child victims disclose the abuse to someone, and even fewer cases are reported to authorities, making child abuse widely underreported. But why air it on national television, and why now? This question is leading many to believe that the accusation could be false. Both Malone sisters have appeared on countless spin-offs and shows together, where this information could have been brought to light, and yet, it was not.

Initially, when we were introduced to Tesehki, she was on the show to fight battles for a pregnant Chrisean, but she did not see it prudent to do so, given the weight difference between herself and her would-be opponents. Since then, Tesehki had quickly become a fan favorite, and now that Chrisean is returning, we hear this explosive remark.

Is Tesehki guilty, or is she innocent? To be honest, we may never know. But this incident has no doubt opened the floor to a larger conversation: how to talk to a child about inappropriate touching. In 2022, there were nearly 600,000 cases of reported abuse in the U.S., and over 90,000 involved child sexual abuse—please keep in mind that these are the cases that were reported.

The economic impact of child abuse, including sexual abuse, is estimated to cost billions in medical and mental health treatment, criminal justice involvement, and productivity loss each year. As the TikTok user pointed out regarding her child’s homework assignment, there is room for teaching. Here are some key points to help guide a safe, effective, and age-appropriate conversation:

When speaking with your children about inappropriate touching, be sure to use language that is easy for your child to understand, especially when explaining body parts. Explain that private parts are parts of the body covered by a swimsuit. This will help to give your child some perspective without causing too much confusion. You can also teach the concept of body boundaries. These parts that are covered by their swimsuits belong to them, and they have the right to say no to anyone who wishes to touch them there, even if the person is familiar. Explain that if someone makes them feel uncomfortable, they should trust that feeling and speak to you or a trusted adult immediately.

Teach your children a simple plan to follow: “Say NO, go away from the situation, and tell a trusted adult immediately.” When educating your kids on who can be considered a trusted adult, you want to come up with a series of simple, yet easy questions for your child to ask an adult that would deem him or her safe because the reality is that not everyone is trustworthy, and sometimes it’s easy to go from one dangerous situation to another. But always remind your children that they can talk to you about anything without fear of being in trouble, especially if it involves their safety.

Regularly ask open-ended questions about their day and how they feel, so they know that you’re open and approachable. No parent should be scared to send their child to school, and in the case of the Malone sisters, my honest take is that the Zeus Network should be ashamed of itself for exploiting their trauma for views and revenue. Sometimes it’s okay to recommend therapy to the people we say we care about, and the moment Chrisean allowed those words to slip from her lips, the cameras should have cut, and Tesehki should have been given an apology.

We cannot judge, but she should be given a chance to seek help, clear her name, or be removed from the show until further notice. That’s just our two cents, and to the mommies out there, we hope your kids stay safe.

by Lisa K. Stephenson