Facts about Sexual Abuse

Facts about Sexual Abuse 

1. Frequency

Sexual abuse occurs more frequently than one might imagine 

1. It is estimated that:

2. 1 in 10 children are sexually abuse before their 18th birthday (1 in 4 females, 1 in 6 males)

   1. 30% of children are abused by family members 

   2. As many as 60% are abused by someone the family trusts 

   3. Roughly 35% of victims are 11 years old or younger

   4. Nearly 40% are abused by older or larger children (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2018)

3. Risk Factors

   1. Children of every gender, age, race, ethnicity, background, socio-economic status, and family structure are at risk

      1. Perpetrators look for passive, quiet, “troubled”, lonely children from single parent and/or “broken” homes (Budin & Johnson, 1989)

      2. Perpetrators seek out children who are particularly trusting (Conte et al., 1987)

      3. Family structure is a major risk factor 🡪 lower to higher risk depending upon parent involvement (Sedlack, et al., 2010)

      4. Gender is another major risk factor 🡪 higher risk as female (5x more likely), as opposed to male (Synder, 2000)

      5. Age plays a vital role 🡪 children are more vulnerable between the ages of 7 and 13 (Finkelhor, 1994)

      6. Race and ethnicity are important factors 🡪 African American children have 2x more risk than white children; Latino children have slightly greater risk than non-Latino children (Sedlack, et al., 2010)

      7. Socio-economic status 🡪 lower socio-economic status 3x more likely to be a victim of sexual abuse (Sedlack, et al., 2010)

1. Signs of Possible sexual abuse

2. It is not always easy to recognize signs of sexual abuse

3. Physical Warning Signs: 

   1. Sexually transmitted infections (STIs)

   2. Signs of trauma to genital area, such as unexplained bleeding, bruising, or blood on bed sheets

   3. Behavioral Warning Signs:

4. – Sexual behavior that is inappropriate for the child’s age

   1. Bedwetting or soiling the bed, if the child has outgrown these behaviors 

   2. Not wanting to be left along with certain people or being afraid to be away from primary caregivers, especially if this is a new behavior

   3. Tries to avoid removing clothing to change or bathe 

   4. Emotional Warning Signs:
      – Excessive talk or knowledge about sexual topics
      – Resuming behaviors that child has grown out of, such as thumb sucking
      – Nightmares or fear of being alone at night 
      – Excessive worry or fearfulness 

   5. Perpetrator Warning Signs:
      – Does not respect boundaries or listen when someone tells them “no”
      – Engages in touching that has been indicated as unwanted by child or parent/guardian 
      – Tries to be child’s friend, as opposed to filling adult role 
      – Does not seem to have age-appropriate relationships 
      – Spends time alone with child outside of their role or makes excuses to be alone with child 
      – Expresses unusual interest in child’s sexual development or normalizing sexual behaviors 
      – Gives child gifts without occasion or reason 

5. Taking action
   
   If your child tells you they were sexually abused, believe them – they may never tell you again
   
   – Listen compassionately to what your child has to say
   – Remove them from an unsafe situation and report incident to the authorities 
   – It is recommended that the family research and participate in therapy services (US Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2000; US Department of Health and Human Services, 2013)