Child Sexual Abuse: See it! Hear it! Identify it!

The need to identify the signs of sexual abuse in a child is therefore utmost. Don’t close your eyes if you see a child getting abused. Don’t close your ears when a child comes to you with his problems. This article would discuss the signs of child sexual abuse so that it can be timely identified, reported, and stopped.

As a parent or as a guardian or even as a school teacher, one needs to be highly alert for recognizing the signs of sexual abuse in the child one is dealing with. It cannot always be easy to spot and stop the sexual abuse of a child.

Recognizing warning signs in a child can save him or her from much-unwanted trauma.

The physical signs of child sexual abuse include:

·        Signs in Genital Area:

There can be bruises, bleeding and swelling in the genital area which can be painful for the child.

·        Signs of Abuse on Clothes:

The underclothes of the child who has suffered sexual abuse may be torn and may also be stained with blood and other discharges.

·        Signs of Abuse in Movement:

The affected child can experience difficulty in walking and sitting. These difficulties may be due to pain and discomfort depending on the intensity of the sexual abuse the concerned child has suffered from.

·        Signs of Infection in Genital Area:

When a child suffers from pain, itching, and burning which he or she previously never complained of can be signs of sexual abuse. The child may also suffer pain while washing the genitals. Parents being the closest to the child can identify these signs soon provided one of them is not the sexual abuser to the child.

·        Infections in Urinary Tract:

When a child experiences a lot of urinary tract infections or yeast infections especially when hygiene and cleanliness are taken care of, chances of child sexual abuse shall always be inspected.

The warning signs of child sexual abuse can also be indicated by sudden or gradual changes in the behavior of the concerned child.

·        Changes in Hygiene of a Child:

Due to the sufferings of sexual abuse, a child might refuse to bathe or may bathe excessively. Changes in the way a child keeps his or her hygiene can guide you towards identifying his or her sufferings of sexual abuse.

·        Normal Physical Contact may scare the child:

A normal pat on a child’s back or a normal handshake may not be any more welcomed by a child who is a sufferer or has suffered in past with sexual abuse. The sufferer may be threatened by each of the ways of physical contact.

·        The sufferer may develop insecurities and phobias:

Sudden development of certain insecurities and phobias such as fear of the dark should always make you investigate the chances of sexual abuse in the concerned child.

·        Suicidal Tendencies may predominate:

The suffered child can express suicidal thoughts and can try to harm self. This is especially prominent in adolescents suffering from sexual abuse. Suicidal tendencies can stay in adulthood if they have not been addressed at time.

·        Depression and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder can set in:

Facing the trauma of sexual abuse can give origin to signs of worthlessness, sadness and pain post the sexual abuse incidences which can remain in adulthood as well. A child may suddenly lose interest in things he was previously interested in and can exhibit the signs of depression which may accompany him or her in various stages of life.

·        The sufferer may space-out oneself:

Yes, the child who is suffering from sexual abuse can gradually or suddenly space-out himself or herself from other people. A vocal child may start remaining silent. An introvert child may  
distance herself more from his surroundings including her parents.

·        The child may become hyperactive, aggressive, and a bully:

The abuse can make a child hyperactive and may make him suffer from anger issues. He or she may become a bully in current or later life as these means tend to serve as expression of rage against the crime which was done on him.

·        The child might experience issues in sleep and bed-wetting:

When you don’t expect a sudden rise in the incidences of bed-wetting of your child to be signs of sexual abuse, they may actually be! A child may find it hard to go to sleep and sustain refreshing sleep at the night. She may experience frightful dreams enough to disturb her sleep. The child may also shout and scream in sleep. Any changes in sleep pattern shall not be ignored. They may be signs of other diseases but can also be signs of sexual abuse.

·        The child may find attending school and learning difficult:

If the place of sexual abuse is school, a child would not like to go to school and make a lot of excuses for not attending school. A sufferer of sexual abuse can also suffer from deterioration in grades and learning new chapters and things highly difficult. He or she may also lose interest in co-curricular activities and sports.

·        The child may have a lot of sexual knowledge for his age:

The child who has suffered sexual abuse may know a lot about the sexual process which is not normal for a child of his or her age. The words and sentences of a child shall be attended to as they may be the guide for you to know that the concerned child has suffered or is suffering sexual abuse.

The manipulators and criminals can be in the closest relation to a child. If you are in any way connected to a child, be mindful enough to notice the unusual changes in the child’s life and take appropriate action of reporting the crime and initiating healing in the child. Make the child realize that she or he has emerged as a VICTOR and is NOT a VICTIM.

You can watch the text here!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XwOiCpMNm1s