 |
|
|
|
The article below will give both parents and
children a brief look at child sex abuse. It is not
a complete list of signs and symptoms of sex abuse,
only those that are most often shown by a child. If
you see any of these signs or symptoms in your child
then you must get professional help for your family.
These guides and references are meant to inform not
correct the situation.
Once you have read and understood this page
you may
want to visit our page on
Dissociative Identity Disorder (MPD)
. If
your child has been sexually abused then
you will
want to read this page. You will also
want to visit our page on Children and
Depression. Both of these pages
along with this page could help you
understand your child. If this information
does not pertain to your family, maybe
you know of others you can pass the
information onto.
CHILD SEXUAL
ABUSE
No. 9 (Updated July 2004)
Child sexual abuse has been reported
up to 80,000
times a year, but the number of unreported
instances
is far greater, because the children
are afraid to
tell anyone what has happened, and
the legal procedure
for validating an episode is
difficult. The problem
should be identified, the abuse
stopped, and the
child should receive professional help.
The long-term
emotional and psychological damage of
sexual abuse
can be devastating to the child.
Child sexual abuse can take place
within the family,
by a parent, step-parent, sibling or
other relative
; or outside the home, for example,
by a friend,
neighbor, child care person, teacher,
or stranger.
When sexual abuse has occurred, a
child can develop
a variety of distressing feelings,
thoughts and
behaviors.
No child is psychologically prepared
to cope with
repeated sexual stimulation. Even a
two or three year
old, who cannot know the sexual
activity is wrong,
will develop problems resulting from
the inability to
cope with the overstimulation.
The child of five or older who knows
and cares for
the abuser becomes trapped between
affection or
loyalty for the person, and the sense
that the sexual
activities are terribly wrong. If
the child tries to
break away from the sexual
relationship, the abuser
may threaten the child with violence
or loss of love.
When sexual abuse occurs within the
family, the child
may fear the anger, jealousy or shame
of other family
members, or be afraid the family will
break up if the
secret is told.
A child who is the victim of
prolonged sexual abuse
usually develops low self-esteem, a
feeling of
worthlessness and an abnormal or
distorted view of
sex. The child may become withdrawn
and mistrustful
of adults, and can become suicidal.
Some children who have been sexually
abused have
difficulty relating to others except
on sexual terms.
Some sexually abused children become
child abusers
or prostitutes, or have other
serious problems when
they reach adulthood.
Often there are no obvious physical
signs of child
sexual abuse. Some signs can only be
detected on
physical exam by a physician.
Sexually abused children
may develop the
following:
* unusual interest in or avoidance of
all things of
a sexual nature
* sleep problems or nightmares
* depression or withdrawal from friends
or family
* seductiveness
* statements that their bodies are
dirty or damaged,
or fear that there is something wrong
with them in
the genital area
* refusal to go to school
* delinquency/conduct problems
* secretiveness
* aspects of sexual molestation in
drawings, games,
fantasies
* unusual aggressiveness, or
* suicidal behavior
Child sexual abusers can make the
child extremely
fearful of telling, and only when a
special effort
has helped the child to feel safe, can
the child talk
freely. If a child says that he or she
has been
molested, parents should try to remain
calm and reassure
the child that what happened was not
their fault.
Parents should seek a medical
examination and
psychiatric consultation.
Parents can prevent
or lessen the
chance of sexual abuse by:
* Telling children that if someone
tries to touch your
body and do things that make you feel
funny, say
NO to that person and tell me
right away
* Teaching children that respect does
not mean blind
obedience to adults and to authority,
for example,
don't tell children to, Always do
everything the
teacher or baby-sitter tells you to
do
* Encouraging professional
prevention programs in
the local school system
Sexually abused children and
their families need
immediate professional evaluation
and treatment.
Child and adolescent psychiatrists
can help abused
children regain a sense of self-esteem,
cope with
feelings of guilt about the abuse, and
begin the process
of overcoming the trauma. Such
treatment can help
reduce the risk that the child will
develop serious
problems as an adult.
Here
is a list of other
websites on child sex abuse:
Child Sexual Abuse
Research sexual abuse of children
at world's largest
online library.
www.
questia.com
Child
Sexual Abuse // National Center for
Post-Traumatic
Stress ...
Child sexual abuse includes a wide
range of sexual
behaviors that take place
between a child and an older person.
These sexual
behaviors are intended to ...
http://
www.ncptsd.va.gov/facts/
specific/fs_child_sexual_abuse.html
Child Sex Abuse:
Internet Crimes
Child sexual abuse, molestation,
exploitation,
pornography, offenders, predators,
Web, lure, chat, boylove, adult-child
sex. Presented
by Pandora's Box: Dr. ...
http://www.
prevent-abuse-now.
com/pedoweb.htm
CNN.
com - Study:
Child sex abuse 'epidemic' in US -
September 11,
2001
A study released Monday revealed
that between 300000
and 400000 US children --
many from middle class homes --
are victims of some
type of sexual ...
http://www.cnn.com/
2001/LAW/09/10/child.exploitation/
MedlinePlus:
Child Sexual Abuse
(National Center for Missing and
Exploited Children)
. Research; Childhood Sex
Abuse Increases Risk for Drug
Dependence in Adult
Women (04/01/2002, ...
http://
www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/
childsexualabuse.html
Darkness to Light
Website, Child
Sexual Abuse Prevention
Darkness to Light homepage.
Darkness to Light is
a non-profit organization
dedicated to the primary
prevention of child sexual
abuse.
http://www.
darkness2light.org/
Child
sexual abuse -
Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A perpetrator of child sexual
abuse is known as a
child sex offender. Most child
sex offenders are male; the
number of female
offenders is usually reported
...
http://en.
wikipedia.org/wiki
/Child_sexual_abuse
Child Abuse in Children
Child abuse is harm to, or neglect
of, a child by
another person, whether adult
... talking about or acting out
sexual acts beyond
normal sex play for age. ...
http://www.keepkidshealthy.com/
welcome/commonproblems/child_abuse.
html
Child Abuse:
Types, Signs,
Symptoms, Causes and Help
Learn how to identify the signs
and symptoms of
child abuse and what to do if
you
... Provides help and resources
for child abusers
and child abuse survivors.
http://www.helpguide.org/mental
/child_abuse_physical_emotional_
sexual_neglect.
htm
Medem: Medical
Library: Sexual
Abuse
If your child does reveal sexual
abuse to you,
the most important point is to
take what your ... Many children
who report
sexual abuse are not believed. ...
http://www.medem.com/MedLB/article
_detaillb.cfm?article_ID=ZZZ1LW3YA7C
&sub_cat=348
Are you a teen and
need another
teen to listen to you? Do you, as a
teen, need
answers from another teen to your
questions about
anything?
Go to the following website:
OnYourMind.net:
Peer support, chat,
information and help...
So, what's on your mind? We're a
non-profit
web-based organization from teens,
for teens that can provide support
and referrals
through an online chat, ...
http://www.
onyourmind.net/
Books on children and sex
abuse!
Search the box below
for more
information on children and sex
abuse or any
other subject.
Follow this link,
Child Sex Abuse
 ,
for more information
on this subject.
|