Adults Can Help Stop Child Sexual Abuse
The Crime Report
There are many reasons why children do not report the crime.
The abuser may be a friend, neighbor, or even a relative, someone who is close to the child. Often an abuser is a trusted, respected member of the community. Children may fear that no one will believe them or that they will be blamed for the abuse. They may be confused about the seriousness of the crime, and they are often overwhelmed with shame.
Abusers often threaten to kill or hurt their victims or their families if the children disclose the abuse. So the children often remain silent, suffering alone for years.
Most U.S. adults understand the seriousness of these offenses against children, but they don't necessarily act when they encounter them. They may not recognize the signs, or they may fear raising suspicions they can't prove or making things more difficult for the child.
Yet adults must find ways to protect young sexual abuse victims.
Parents, teachers, neighbors, coaches, and youth group leaders should learn the signs that a child may be a sexual abuse victim. Youths may seem distracted, angry, unhappy, withdrawn, or may to suffer from nightmares or other signs that something unusual is going on.
Young children may regress to earlier behaviors such as bed-wetting or thumb sucking. They may resist removing clothes at appropriate times, such as bedtime, or mimic adult sexual behavior when playing with toys.
Teens may engage in self-injury, such as cutting or burning, begin drug or alcohol abuse, become sexually promiscuous, run away from home, or become depressed or anxious. While these symptoms may reflect a variety of problems, they may also suggest sexual abuse and should not be ignored.
Adults can also look for signs that youth are trying to disclose the abuse.
Young people may disclose bits of information, not always in sequence, that suggest sexual abuse. They may say, for example, that a specific person makes them uncomfortable, without saying why. They may mention a “friend “who is being abused but fears telling anyone.
If the adult responds supportively, youths may start to share more about what is bothering them. Adults should listen attentively, affirm what the youth is saying, and involve a victim advocate to connect the youth with counseling and help with reporting the abuse.
(Resources include Childhelp USA and RAINN.)
The Crime Report
There are many reasons why children do not report the crime.
The abuser may be a friend, neighbor, or even a relative, someone who is close to the child. Often an abuser is a trusted, respected member of the community. Children may fear that no one will believe them or that they will be blamed for the abuse. They may be confused about the seriousness of the crime, and they are often overwhelmed with shame.
Abusers often threaten to kill or hurt their victims or their families if the children disclose the abuse. So the children often remain silent, suffering alone for years.
Most U.S. adults understand the seriousness of these offenses against children, but they don't necessarily act when they encounter them. They may not recognize the signs, or they may fear raising suspicions they can't prove or making things more difficult for the child.
Yet adults must find ways to protect young sexual abuse victims.
Parents, teachers, neighbors, coaches, and youth group leaders should learn the signs that a child may be a sexual abuse victim. Youths may seem distracted, angry, unhappy, withdrawn, or may to suffer from nightmares or other signs that something unusual is going on.
Young children may regress to earlier behaviors such as bed-wetting or thumb sucking. They may resist removing clothes at appropriate times, such as bedtime, or mimic adult sexual behavior when playing with toys.
Teens may engage in self-injury, such as cutting or burning, begin drug or alcohol abuse, become sexually promiscuous, run away from home, or become depressed or anxious. While these symptoms may reflect a variety of problems, they may also suggest sexual abuse and should not be ignored.
Adults can also look for signs that youth are trying to disclose the abuse.
Young people may disclose bits of information, not always in sequence, that suggest sexual abuse. They may say, for example, that a specific person makes them uncomfortable, without saying why. They may mention a “friend “who is being abused but fears telling anyone.
If the adult responds supportively, youths may start to share more about what is bothering them. Adults should listen attentively, affirm what the youth is saying, and involve a victim advocate to connect the youth with counseling and help with reporting the abuse.
(Resources include Childhelp USA and RAINN.)