Child Abuse

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Child Abuse: Sexual Abuse and how to respond

Sexual Abuse:

The number of child sexual abuse cases reported in a given year has reached as high as 80,000, but the number of unreported instances is far greater. Many children who suffer from sexual abuse are afraid to tell anyone what has happened. The legal procedure of validating an episode is also difficult. Short and long term emotional and psychological damage can be devastating for victims of sexual abuse whose problem is not identified, stopped, and treated with professional help.

Child sexual abuse can take place within the family, by a parent, stepparent, sibling or other relative. It can also occur outside the home, for example, by a friend, neighbor, child care person, teacher or random molester. When sexual abuse occurs, the child develops a variety of distressing feelings, thoughts, and other problems.

Often there are no physical signs of child abuse, or signs that only a physician could detect, such as changes in genital or anal areas.

The behavior of sexually abused children may include:

Unusual interest in or avoidance of all things of a sexual nature
Sleep problems; nightmares
Depression or withdrawl 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, or delinquency
Secretiveness
Aspects of sexual molestation in drawings games or fantasies
Unusual agressiveness
Suicidal behavior
Other radical behavior changes

-Taken from facts for families Vol. 1, No 9
American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
3615 Wisconsin Avenue, N. W., Washington, D.C. 20016 (202) 966-7300

Responding to Child Sexual Abuse

When a child tells an adult that he or she has been sexually abused, the adult may feel uncomfortable and may not know what to say or do. The following guidelines are for responding to children who have been sexually abused.

If a child even hints in a vague way that sexual abuse has occured, encourage him or her to talk freely. Don't make judgemental comments.
Show that you understand and take seriously what the child is saying. The response to the disclosure of sexual abuse is critical to the child's ability to resolve the trauma of the abuse.
Assure the child that he or she did the right thing by telling. A child who is close to the abuser may feel guilty revealing the secret.
Tell the child that he or she is not to blame for the abuse. Most children, attempting to make sense out of the abuse, will believe that they caused it or may view it as a form of punishment for imagined or real wrongdoings.
Finally, offer the child protection, and promise that you will promptly take steps to see that the abuse stops.

Report any suspicion of child abuse. If the abuse is within the family, report it to the local Child Protection Agency. If the abuse is outside of the family, report it to the police or district attorney's office. Individuals reporting in good faith are immune from prosecution. The agency receiving the report will conduct an evaluation and will take action to protect the child.

Parents should consult with their pediatrician or family physician, who may refer them to a physician who specialized in evaluating and treating sexual abuse. The examining doctor will evaluate the child's condition and treat any physical problem related to the abuse, gather evidence to help protect the child, and reassure the child that he or she is all right.

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