Section topics: What is Child Sexual Abuse?, Warning Signs, For Parents/Caregivers
“Rape is a Tragedy of Youth”
(National Victim Center/Rape in America: A Report to the Nation/1992)What is Child Sexual Abuse?
1 in 4 girls and 1 in 6 boys will be sexually abused before the age of 18.
Child sexual abuse, a violation of a child’s right to healthy relationships, is any sexual contact between a child and an adult (or older child) that results in enjoyment for the adult.
Child sexual abuse includes:
- Rape
- Incest
- Sodomy
- Indecent assault
- Sexual touching or fondling
- Exposing children to sexual activity
- Exposing children to pornographic movies and photographs
- Sexualized talk
- Having the child pose, undress or perform in a sexual nature
- Voyeurism
- Forced prostitution
Since most children seek approval from adults, they are vulnerable to abuse. The use of physical force is rarely necessary. Abusers routinely take advantage of children by building trust and giving gifts. Typically, abuse, marked by secrecy, begins gradually and then increases over time. It rarely happens once. Often it continues for years.
Who Sexually Abuses Children?
90% of the time, the child knows her/his abuser.Despite the image of a stranger in a trench coat lurking around playgrounds, the sex offender is most likely someone the child knows and trusts. Abusers are fathers, mothers, stepparents, grandparents, uncles, cousins, neighbors, babysitters, coaches and spiritual leaders. Abusers may be heterosexual or homosexual (statistics show that most are heterosexual). They may be married or single. The majority of abusers are not mentally ill.
Some abusers are physically attracted to children, some were victims of abuse as children themselves, and some abuse children so they can feel power and control that they do not feel in relationships with adults. No matter what the reason for the abuse, it is a crime.
Abusers often give the child special attention by playing a game, giving hugs or taking part in other innocent activities. As they continue to “groom” the child, the activities progressively become more sexual. The child may realize that these things should not happen, but she/he may feel powerless to stop it.
Most children never tell anyone that someone is hurting them. Abusers typically manipulate the child and demand that the activities remain secret, making threats so that the child doesn’t tell. Children often fear that they will not be believed or that the abuse is their fault.
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