Child Sexual Abuse
Child sexual abuse occurs when a person forces a child to have any form of sexual contact or makes a child perform sexual acts.
Types of Sexual Abuse
Child sexual abuse can be physical, verbal or emotional and includes:
- Sexual touching and fondling.
- Exposing children to adult sexual activity or pornographic movies and photos.
- Having children pose, undress or perform in a sexual fashion on film or in person.
- Symptoms.
- Children may have some of the following symptoms as a result of abuse:
- Nausea/upset stomach.
- Crying.
- Changes in sleeping patterns.
- Clinging to parents.
- Changes in school performance.
- Sexually inappropriate behavior.
- Lying.
- Change in appetite.
- Nightmares.
- Anger and mood changes.
- Avoidance of school/friends.
- Aggressiveness.
- Fears and phobias.
- Attention seeking.
- Suicide attempts.
- Depression.
Why Children Don't Tell
Often children do not tell anyone about sexual abuse because they:
- Are too young to put what has happened into words.
- Were threatened or bribed by the abuser to keep the abuse a secret.
- Feel confused by the attention and the feelings accompanying the abuse.
- Are afraid no one will believe them.
- Blame themselves or believe the abuse is punishment for being “bad”.
- Feel to ashamed or embarrassed to tell.
- Worry about getting into trouble or getting a loved one into trouble.
Support
How to support a child who discloses abuse to you
- Keep calm. It is important to remember that you are not angry with the child, but at what happened. Children can mistakenly interpret anger or disgust as directed towards them.
- Believe the child. In most circumstances children do not lie about sexual abuse.
- Give positive messages such as “I know you couldn’t help it,” or “I’m proud of you for telling.”
- Explain to the child that he or she is not to blame for what happened.
- Listen to and answer the child’s questions honestly.
- Respect the child’s privacy. Be careful not to discuss the abuse in front of people who do not need to know what happened.
- Report the abuse to the proper authorities.
- Get help from a professional counselor.
Resources
For more information contact these local and national organization:
ND Council on Abused Women’s Services
Coalition Against Sexual Assault
418 East Rosser Avenue, #320
Bismarck, ND 58501-4046
888-255-6240 or 701-255-6240
[Email]
Red Flag Green Flag
PO Box 2984
Fargo, ND 58108-2984
701-293-7273
[Red Flag Green Flag Website]
Prevent Child Abuse North Dakota
418 East Rosser Ave #303
Bismarck, ND 58502-1213
800-403-9932 or 701-223-9052
National Children’s Alliance
1319 F Street NW, Suite # 1001
Washington, DC 20004 1106
202-639-5097
[National Children's Alliance Website]
National Children’s Advocacy Center
200 Westside Square, Suite # 700
Huntsville, AL 35801
256-533-0531
