Facts About Child Sexual Abuse
- 1 of every 3 girls and 1 of every 5 boys
will be a victim of sexual assault before the age of 18.
- As many as 40 million Americans experienced
sexual victimization as children.
- In 85% of reported cases, the abuser is
someone the child knows, often a relative or family friend.
- 1 in 5 rapes are under age 12; 1 in 10 are
under age 5.
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Sexual contact between a child and an adult
or older child in order to have power or control over the child. Although it can be
violent, usually enticement and threats are involved. It may be called.
rape
incest
voyeurism
molestation
indecent exposure
corrupting morals
pornography
statutory rape
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Abusers can be from all ethnic and
socio-economic backgrounds. They may have been abused as children. They often feel more
comfortable relating to children rather than to their peers.
They may exhibit extreme over protection of their children and over reaction to any sex
education at their child's school. They may treat children as property. They may also
abuse alcohol and other drugs.
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Signals that a child is being sexually
abused:
Fear or dislike of certain people or places.
Copying adult sexual behavior.
Persistent sexual play with other children,
themselves, toys or pets.
Physical problems including pain or
irritation of the mouth, genital or anal area; urinary infections or sexually transmitted
diseases.
Hints or indirect comments about the abuse.
Typically children with problems show
signs of being troubled by behavior changes including:
anxiety
low self-esteem
depression
excessive crying
sleep disturbances
withdrawing from family and friends
irritability
hostility
change in appetite
school problems
running away
self-destructive behaviors
Often children don't tell about sexual
abuse because they:
are afraid no one will believe them
will get into trouble
will get the abuser into trouble
are too embarrassed to tell
are afraid because they have been threatened
don't have the words to tell about their
abuse
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Common Feelings shared by children who
have been sexually abused:
Fear
of the abuser
of causing trouble
of losing adults important to them
of being taken away from home
of being different
Anger
at the abuser
at the other adults around them who did not
protect them
at themselves (feeling as if they cause
trouble)
Isolation
because something is wrong with me
because they feel they're alone in their
experience
because they have trouble talking about the
abuse
Sadness
about having something taken from them
about losing a part of themselves
about growing up too fast
about being betrayed by someone they trusted
Guilt
for being "bad"
for not being able to stop the abuse
for "telling" -- if they told
for keeping the secret if they did not tell
Shame
about being a part of the experience
about their bodies' response to the abuse
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How to talk to a child who has been
sexually abused:
Do:
- Believe
the child. Rarely do children lie about sexual abuse. You may be the only one the
child thinks can give help.
- Try to remain calm. This may be
difficult but shock or anger may only cause the child to withdraw.
- Praise the child for telling.
Reassure the child that he or she has done the right thing and is safe with you.
- Reassure the child. Make it clear
that what happened is not his or her fault.
- Listen to the child. Take the child
to a private place and let the child tell you what happened in his or her own words. Give
the child your full attention.
Respect the child's privacy. Be careful not to discuss the incidents in front of
people who do not need to know what happened.
Get help, be responsible. Report the incident, arrange a medical check-up and
seek counseling.
Don't:
Don't Panic or Over React when the child talks to you about the
experience. The child needs help and support to make it through this difficult time.
Don't Blame the child. Sexual Abuse is never the child's fault!
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Silence is the friend of the sex
offender.
Child sexual abuse does not go away by avoiding it. It needs to be reported to your local
protection agency.
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- Women's Coalition 773-9272
- Department of Human Services 773-2323
- Police 911
- Attorney General's Office 773-0295
Crisis intervention counseling.
Referrals to long-term counseling.
Advocacy through the criminal justice system
and medical procedures.
Literature available on topics for children,
teachers and parents.
Prevention video tapes.
Prevention and education workshops for
children, teachers and parents.
Funds for this program are made
possible through the Center for Disease Control Preventive Health and Health Services
Block Grant.
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