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Sexual Abuse

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1 IN EVERY 3 GIRLS WILL BE SEXUALLY MOLESTED

BEFORE THE AGE OF 18!!!!

SEXUAL ABUSE SIGNS:

**Physical trauma such as redness, rashes, and/or bleeding to oral, genital and/or anal areas
**Bruises on breasts, buttocks, lower abdomen, thighs, genital and/or rectal areas**
**Complaints of pain or itching in genital or anal areas**
**Difficulty walking or sitting**
**Unusual or offensive body odors**
**Difficulty in bladder or bowel control**
**Constipation**
**Pain or discomfort on urination**
**Blood in urine**
**Abnormal dilation of vaginal or rectal openings**
**Foreign bodies in vaginal, rectal or urethral openings**
**Sexually transmitted diseases found vaginally, rectally or orally**
**Yeast or bacterial infections**
**Frequent sore throats; difficulty swallowing; choking**
**Ear infections/problems**
**Sudden weight gain or extreme weight loss**
**Severe psychosomatic complaints such as stomachaches and headaches**

37d671ba13335201e18e61a09c8be9bc.jpg CHILD ABUSE picture by sandrapotter

CHILD ABUSE FACTS

Although child sexual abuse is reported almost 90,000 times a year, the numbers of unreported abuse is far greater.
Children are afraid to tell anyone what has happened, and the legal procedure for validating an episode is difficult & expensive….
It is estimated that 1 in 3 girls and 1 in 6 boys will have experienced an episode of sexual abuse while younger than 18 years.
The numbers of boys affected may be falsely low because of reporting techniques.
67% of all victims of sexual assault reported to law enforcement agencies were juveniles (under the age of 18).
34% of all victims were under age 12.
1 in 7 victims of sexual assault reported to law enforcement agencies were under age 6.
40% of the offenders who victimized children under age 6 were juveniles (under the age of 18).
Most children are abused by someone they know and trust, although boys are more likely than girls to be abused outside of the family.
A study in three states found 96% of reported rape survivors under age 12 knew the attacker.
4% of the offenders were strangers, 20% were fathers, 16% were relatives and 50% were acquaintances or friends.

There are various lists of possible physical and behavioral indicators of child sexual abuse,

some of which are:

Waking up during the night sweating, screaming or shaking with nightmares.
Masturbating excessively.
Showing unusually aggressive behavior toward family members, friends, toys, and pets.
Complaining of pain while urinating or having a bowel movement, or exhibiting symptoms of genital infections such as offensive odors, or symptoms of a sexually transmitted disease.
Having symptoms indicating evidence of physical traumas to the genital or anal area.
Beginning wetting the bed.
Experiencing a loss of appetite or other eating problems, including unexplained gagging.
Showing unusual fear of a certain place or location.
Developing frequent unexplained health problems.
Engaging in persistent sexual play with friends, toys or pets.
Having unexplained periods of panic, which may be flashbacks from the abuse.
Regressing to behaviors too young for the stage of development they already achieved.
Initiating sophisticated sexual behaviors.
Indicating a sudden reluctance to be alone with a certain person.
Engaging in self-mutilations, such as sticking themselves with pins or cutting themselves.
Withdrawing from previously enjoyable activities, like school or school performance change.
Asking an unusual amount of questions about human sexuality.

Sexual Abuse

Definition of Sexual Abuse:

The National Center on Child Abuse and Neglect defines child sexual assault as: “Contacts or interactions between a child and an adult when the child is being used for sexual stimulation of the perpetrator or another person when the perpetrator or another person is in a position of power or control over the victim.”¹⁰

Sexual abuse is any time that a child is engaged in a sexual situation with an older person. It can include actual physical contact, such as fondling or rape, but it also includes making a child watch sexual acts or pornography, using a child in any aspect of the production of pornography, or making a child look at an adult’s genitals.

Examples of child sexual abuse:

Digital (finger) penetration; Exhibitionism; Fondling a child’s genitals; Having intercourse with a child; Having oral sex with a child; Having sex in front of a child; Having a child touch an older person’s genitals; Incest; Masturbation; Oral-genital contact; Prostitution; Rape; Showing an adult’s genitalia to a child; Showing X-rated books or movies to a child; Sodomy; Using a child in pornographic production of any kind.^4,6,7,18

Many experts believe that sexual abuse is the most under-reported form of child maltreatment because of the secrecy or “conspiracy of silence” that so often characterizes these cases.²³

Note: Every state has, in its child protection laws, a definition, often more specific than this general definition.²⁰

The Progression of the Act:

Excerpted from Delaplane, D. and A. Delaplane. Victims of Child Abuse, Domestic Violence, Elder Abuse, Rape, Robbery, Assault, and Violent Death: A Manual for Clergy and Congregations. Special Edition for Military Chaplains.

There are usually several stages in the process of sexual victimization of children.

1. The Approach
Child sexual abuse (molestation) is an intentional activity. The first requirement (with rare exceptions) is that the offender be alone with the child.

The child is often induced into being alone with the perpetrator by his suggestion of some activity like playing a game. It should be kept in mind that the greatest number of child molestations are by someone known to the child. Even in cases of “strangers” (those outside the family context) the offender, after becoming acquainted with the mother or caretaker, may offer to spend some time with the child in sports, a trip to the zoo or museum.

The initial approach, coming from an adult who may be the father, step-father, or another known person, who says it is okay, usually results in a favorable response. This is because children tend to accept adult authority, particularly that of adults close to them. In such cases the warnings about not talking with strangers do not seem relevant.

One exception to this trust factor on the part of the child is when the child has been molested, and this is a repeat request. In this event the child may back off, but by then the “secret,” with accompanying warnings, has already been established. The game itself turns out to be “our little secret.” It is presented as a very special game. It may take the form of, “Look at my penis. Do you want to touch it? It’s fun, isn’t it? When we are finished we’ll go out and have an ice cream,” or some such similar approach.

There is, unfortunately, another method which does not involve this kind of fun and gentleness. Force, intimidation, threats and duress are used by some less skilled, or by some deviant perpetrators. In these cases the threat may be taken very seriously by the child because of her/his having seen force used on the mother or another in the family. Although sexual molestation, regardless of the method of approach, is very confusing and traumatic to the child, the forced molestation results in extreme trauma because of the additional intense fear factor.

2. Sexual Interaction
Child molestation, like other addictive behaviors, is progressive. It may start with touching or fondling, but can progress to some form of penetration — vaginal, oral, anal…or all three.

3. Secrecy
Keeping the secret is absolutely necessary in order to avoid consequences and to allow continued availability of the victim. The longer the secret is held, the longer the behavior is able to continue. The offender usually knows that this conduct is against the law, and is, therefore, not adverse to telling the child that bad things will happen if the secret gets out. Violent offenders may be more specific, telling the child that bad things will happen to her/him if the secret is told. Many wonder why children do not tell. This threat aspect is the reason.

Children will usually keep the secret unless the confusion and pain is too great, or unless it is accidentally revealed. Many never tell, or do not disclose the secret until years later. To some, the experience is so shameful and traumatic that they actually forget (or block) the experiences. When other problems arise in adulthood, therapists often find, to the surprise of the victim, that childhood molestation which was blocked is at the root of the present problems.

4. Disclosure
Often disclosure is not voluntary. It may come through an unintentional slip of the child. She/he may tell a playmate, a day care provider, a Sunday or Sabbath school teacher, or other teacher or caretaker without intending to. Or disclosure may come by observation. There are many indicators of possible sexual assault. The presence of a number of these could cause suspicion.

There are cases where the disclosure is voluntary. The small child may be so traumatized, or in such confusion that she/he must get it out. The child may do this in stages, or indirectly by making it sound like the molestation is happening to someone else. Or she/he may just drop a word or two about it in the middle of a completely unrelated conversation. It is very important to hear these words and, without any emotional reaction (a very difficult assignment), to draw the child out further. If there is strong reaction on the part of the adult listener, the child’s fear may cause her/him to close down.

When a child molestation victim reaches adolescence, she/he may, because of the dynamics of puberty, teenage relationships, and other adolescent issues, be so distraught by the ongoing molestation that she/he will voluntarily disclose. Disclosure will often be to the non-offending parent or to a trusted member of the family, or, in some cases it may even be to the authorities.

Whether the disclosure is voluntary or involuntary, there will be immediate reactions (by the offender) ranging from denial and hostility to a desire to protect and obtain help. The first line of defense for the offender is, of course, denial. This can be very strong and convincing. There is a lot at stake. There are severe consequences to admission (but, it should be added, more severe if not admitted and later found to be true by the courts). There is the possibility of publicity, loss of reputation, criminal charges, financial difficulties and marital and family breakdown. These give strong motivation for the offender to lie.

Thus, the offender may, in his position as an adult authority, attempt to undermine the victim’s account. In a debate between an articulate adult and a child, the child, unless believed, can often come out the loser… in more ways than one.

Non-offending spouses, on the other hand, must also deal with important issues. The first is whether to believe the alleged offender. If the allegations are accepted as true, in addition to the above listed consequences, she must deal with the possible loss of financial security, the possibility of having to testify against her husband or partner and, perhaps even being victimized herself by physical or other forms of retaliation.

Also, the non-offending spouse may feel guilt for not protecting the child. In the process of looking the other way for fear it might be true, she may have known and yet not known. Always the question in the minds of everyone involved in the disclosure phase is, “How will I be affected by this?”

This leads to, perhaps, the most important question of all — to report or not report. In the case of involuntary disclosure, the suspicion of child molestation may have been by someone who is mandated by law to report. In this case, the decision is taken out of the hands of the family members.

Although it is very difficult to see the law, social services or the courts involved, reporting can be a very positive step toward resolution of the problem. First and foremost, reporting will involve those who can protect the victim. In addition, coming from this action is accountability and the possibility of treatment for the victim and, often for the offender, particularly if admission and cooperation is forthcoming.

Clergy can play a very important part in this by reporting if they suspect child abuse; by encouraging the offender to overcome denial and seek treatment (this option cannot be guaranteed, but is much more likely if the offender does admit the crime and ask for help), and by assisting all parties involved through the system, keeping the welfare of the victim as a paramount concern. 5. Suppression
It is very common, in view of all of the problems surrounding disclosure, for all parties involved to attempt, or at least consider suppression. Even in the less likely event of the offender being an outsider, there is the strong temptation to try to avoid publicity and intervention. This is often done by minimization — the attitude that, “It’s not as big a deal as all that. She’ll soon get over it.” But she won’t.

As the victim, the offender and the non-offending parent or family member become involved in the investigation and the court process, the offender may very well seek to discredit the child by pointing out both factual and fictitious faults of the victim. These may be such things as the victim’s difficulty in school (which is not unusual for a victim of molestation) or her/his tendency to lie. This can cause a child, who may already be having problems with guilt, to feel isolated. She/he may simply stop cooperating with the investigation. The child might even change her story to get back into good graces.

6. Repression or Recovery
This is the choice. If the child sexual assault is suppressed, some surface adjustments may be made and life will go on as before. In most cases, “as before” will involve all that went on before, including the continued molestation. Having gotten away with it, the offender may begin to molest another child as well. The dysfunction is perpetuated.

Moving toward recovery, perhaps initially the more difficult alternative, is by all standards the preferred choice. Treatment of both the child victim, who has been severely damaged, and of the offender, who struggles with deep-seated psychological difficulties, is long and difficult. More often than not, treatment will last up to two years and possibly more. Often the specter of being required to return to court if treatment is not maintained is the only incentive that will keep the offender in treatment.

If those involved will not give up when things “die down” or appear “normal” again, the reward of a young person’s not having to live with this darkness, and of the offender’s finally acknowledging and dealing with his problem, is worth it all.

Overview

CHILDREN ARE MOLESTED BY

BOTH MALE & FEMALE PEDOPHILES!

Child sexual abuse has been at the center of unprecedented public attention during the last decade. All fifty states and the District of Columbia have enacted statutes identifying child sexual abuse as criminal behavior. This crime encompasses different types of sexual activity, including voyeurism, sexual dialogue, fondling, touching of the genitals, vaginal, anal, or oral rape and forcing children to participate in pornography or prostitution.

Child Sexual Abusers

Perpetrators of child sexual abuse come from different age groups, genders, races and socio- economic backgrounds. Women sexually abuse children, although not as frequently as men, and juvenile perpetrators comprise as many as one-third of the offenders. One common denominator is that victims frequently know and trust their abusers.

Child abusers coerce children by offering attention or gifts, manipulating or threatening their victims, using aggression or employing a combination of these tactics. “[D]ata indicate that child molesters are frequently aggressive. Of 250 child victims studied by DeFrancis, 50% experienced physical force, such as being held down, struck, or shaken violently”

Child Sexual Abuse Victims

Studies have not found differences in the prevalence of child sexual abuse among different social classes or races. However, parental inadequacy, unavailability, conflict and a poor parent-child relationship are among the characteristics that distinguish children at risk of being sexually abused . According to the Third National Incidence Study, girls are sexually abused three times more often than boys, whereas boys are more likely to die or be seriously injured from their abuse. Both boys and girls are most vulnerable to abuse between the ages of 7 and 13.

Incest

Incest traditionally describes sexual abuse in which the perpetrator and victim are related by blood. However, incest can also refer to cases where the perpetrator and victim are emotionally connected. Intrafamily perpetrators constitute from one-third to one-half of all perpetrators against girls and only about one-tenth to one-fifth of all perpetrators against boys. There is no question that intrafamily abuse is more likely to go on over a longer period of time and in some of its forms, particularly parent-child abuse, has been shown to have more serious consequences.

Symptoms of Child Sexual Abuse

Many sexually abused children exhibit physical, behavioral and emotional symptoms. Some physical signs are pain or irritation to the genital area, vaginal or penile discharge and difficulty with urination. Victims of known assailants may experience less physical trauma because such injuries might attract suspicion.

Behavioral changes often precede physical symptoms as the first indicators of sexual abuse (American Humane Association Children’s Division, 1993). Behavioral signs include nervous or aggressive behavior toward adults, sexual provocativeness before an appropriate age and the use of alcohol and other drugs. Boys “are more likely than girls to act out in aggressive and antisocial ways as a result of abuse”. Children may say such things as, “My mother’s boyfriend does things to me when she’s not there,” or “I’m afraid to go home tonight.”

Consequences of Child Sexual Abuse

Consequences of child sexual abuse range “from chronic depression to low self-esteem to sexual dysfunction to multiple personalities. A fifth of all victims develop serious long-term psychological problems, according to the American Medical Association. These may include dissociative responses and other signs of post-traumatic-stress syndrome [sic], chronic states of arousal, nightmares, flashbacks, venereal disease and anxiety over sex or exposure of the body during medical exams”.

Cycle of Violence

Children who are abused or neglected are more likely to become criminal offenders as adults. A National Institute of Justice study found “that childhood abuse increased the odds of future delinquency and adult criminality overall by 40 percent”.

Child sexual abuse victims are also at risk of becoming ensnared in this cycle of violence. One expert estimates that forty percent of sexual abusers were sexually abused as children. In addition, victims of child sexual abuse are 27.7 times more likely to be arrested for prostitution as adults than non-victims.

Some victims may become sexual abusers or prostitutes because they have a difficult time relating to others except on sexual terms.

Stopping the Cycle of Violence

With early detection and appropriate treatment, society can prevent some victimized children from becoming adult perpetrators. In order to intervene early in abuse, parents should educate their children about appropriate sexual behavior and how to feel comfortable saying no.

Although about 40% of untreated nonincest offenders recidivate, studies have found that treatment can successfully decrease recidivism rates . Depo-Provera and other pharmacological treatments can decrease sexual thoughts, urges or drives by lowering male sexual offenders’ testosterone levels. This method is sometimes referred to as chemical castration. Offenders’ inappropriate attraction to children can be diminished by behavioral modification techniques, such as aversive conditioning, masturbatory satiation, and covert sensitization. Psychological treatment such as psychotherapy and counseling can help offenders understand their behavior and identify its origins.

Steps must be taken to ensure that perpetrators do not attack again once the criminal justice system’s punitive measures have taken their course. All states and the federal government have enacted versions of Megan’s Law that require community notification and sex offender registration. Under these laws, authorities are required to notify communities when sex offenders move in. In some cases, law enforcement agencies make the notification while the offender is responsible in others. Registration laws require offenders to provide information such as name and address to a law enforcement agency. The FBI maintains a nationwide sex offender registry.

Child Sexual Abuse Reporting

Children may resist reporting sexual abuse because they are afraid of angering the offender, blame themselves for the abuse or feel guilty and ashamed. In order to increase reporting, parents and adults who interact with children, such as school personnel, teachers, counselors, child care workers, Boy and Girl Scout troop leaders and coaches, should be educated about the behavioral and physical symptoms of child sexual abuse . Children tend to report to someone who appears to ‘already know’ and is not judgmental, critical or threatening. They also tend to disclose when they believe continuation of the abuse will be unbearable; they are physically injured; or they receive sexual abuse prevention information. Other reasons may be to protect another child or if pregnancy is a threat.

Recovery from Child Sexual Abuse

Once a child discloses the abuse, an appropriate response is extremely important to the child’s healing process. The adult being confided in should encourage the victim to talk freely, reassure the child that he or she is not to blame and seek medical and psychological assistance. Family members may also benefit from mental health services

.

Legal Action

Suspicions of child sexual abuse should be reported to a child protective services agency or law enforcement agency. Local child protection agencies investigate intrafamilial abuse and the police investigate extrafamilial abuse. The law requires professionals who work with children to report suspected neglect or abuse.

In addition to reporting child sexual abuse to the authorities, victims can sue their abusers in civil court to recover monetary damages or win other remedies Many states have extended their criminal and civil statutes of limitation for child sexual abuse cases (National Center for Victims of Crime, 1995). In addition, the delayed discovery rule suspends the statutes of limitation if the victim had repressed all memory of the abuse or was unaware that the abuse caused current problems.

Adult Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse

Survivors of child sexual abuse use coping mechanisms to deal with the horror of the abuse. One such mechanism, protective denial, entails repressing some or all of the abuse. This may cause significant memory gaps that can last months or even years. Victims also use dissociative coping mechanisms, such as becoming numb, to distance themselves from the psychological and physiological responses to the abuse. They may also turn to substance abuse, self-mutilation and eating disorders. In order to recover, adult survivors must adopt positive coping behaviors, forgive themselves, and relinquish their identities as survivors. The healing process can begin when the survivor acknowledges the abuse. When working with adult survivors of child sexual abuse, therapists should consider the survivor’s feeling of security and the personal and professional ramifications of disclosure.

******PLEASE NOTE******
NOT ALL PEOPLE THAT ARE “LABELED” AS A CHILD SEXUAL PEDOPHILE ARE ACTUALLY CHILD MOLESTERS–ONLY ACCORDING TO CERTAIN STATES, THEIR LAWS & LEGISLATION.

FOR EXAMPLE:

IF A 17-YEAR OLD TEENAGE BOY HAS CONSENTUAL SEX WITH A GIRL UNDER THE AGE OF 16…IT COULD BE CONSIDERED CHILD MOLESTATION ACCORDING TO THE STATE THE INCIDENT OCCURS IN….WHILE IN OTHER STATES, IT IS ACCEPTABLE.
(ie: SUCH AS A ROMEO & JULIET SCENARIO)