Advocates Against Violence: Recognizing the Signs of Child Abuse

AAV MISSION

"Advocates Against Violence" was created to bring awareness to the life changes that occur from living in violent environments. We consider violent environments to include domestic violence (DV), intimate partner violence (IPV), child abuse, neglect, and sexual molestation (CANSM), random violence and those whom are affected by natural disasters.

Our Mission

We hope to bring awareness to victims of violence in all its forms and report information that affects those whom are affected by natural disasters. We hope to provide resources and spread awareness through research that will provide links to resources that will help victims of violence (family violence, domestic violence, child abuse, child neglect, child endangerment, child molestation, and those suffering from natural disasters (tornadoes, earthquakes, hurricanes, volcano eruptions, etc.). Moroever, we hope to include resources for victims of violence in all forms including victims of random violence (muggings, armed robbery, kidnapping, school violence, etc.).

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Recognizing the Signs of Child Abuse

Recognizing the signs of child abuse...

Sexual abuse involves forcing, tricking, threatening or pressuring a child into sexual awareness or activity. Sexual abuse can be physical, verbal or emotional, and occurs when an older or more knowledgeable child or adult uses a child for sexual pleasure. The abuse often begins gradually and increases over time. It can include sexual touching and fondling or exposing children to adult sexual activity including pornographic movies and photographs.
Incest is defined as sexual relations of any kind perpetrated by a biologically or non-biologically related person functioning in the role of a family member. Other trusted adults could also sexually abuse children and teenagers. These include parents, uncles, aunts, siblings, step-parents, grandparents, coaches, baby sitters, clergy and teachers.
The use of physical force, known as sexual assault, is rarely necessary to engage a child in sexual activity because children are trusting and dependent. Children are taught not to question authority and they believe that adults are always right. Perpetrators of child sexual abuse know this, and take advantage of these vulnerabilities in children. Sexual abuse is an abuse of power over a child and a violation of a child's right to normal, healthy, trusting relationships.
Incest and sexual abuse are at epidemic proportions. Statistics from RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network), state 15 percent of sexual assault and rape cases occur in children under the age of 12, with 93 percent of juvenile sexual assault perpetuated by someone they know. Of those assaults, 34.2 percent of attackers were family members, 58.7 percent were acquaintances and only 7 percent were complete strangers.

Symptoms

Because most children cannot or do not tell about being sexually abused, it is up to concerned adults or friends to recognize signs of abuse. Physical evidence of abuse is rare. Therefore, we must look for behavioral signs.
The following are general behavior changes that may occur in children and teens who have been sexually abused:

Depression
Eating Disorders
Sleep disturbances
School problems
Withdrawal from family, friends, or usual activities
Excessive bathing or poor hygiene
Anxiety
Running away
Low self-esteem
Self-destructive behavior
Hostility or aggression
Drug or alcohol problems
Sexual activity or pregnancy at an early age; promiscuity
Suicide attempts

Additional Symptoms

Children and teens who have been sexually abused frequently have more specific symptoms:

Copying adult sexual behavior
Sexual play with other children, themselves, toys or pets
Displaying sexual knowledge, through language or behavior, beyond what is normal for their age
Unexplained pain, swelling, bleeding or irritation of the mouth, genital or anal area
Urinary infections
Sexually transmitted diseases
Hints, indirect comments or statements about the abuse

Treatment

Often children and teens 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 feelings that accompany the abuse
Fear that no one will believe them
Blame themselves or believe the abuse is punishment for being "bad"
Feel too ashamed or embarrassed to tell
Worry about getting into trouble or getting a loved one into trouble

A small percentage of kids who are victims of abuse or incest find the courage to tell someone. These disclosures can be as painful as the incest itself; the child believing he or she is telling on someone he or she loves and reliving the horrible experience. They don't want to cause problems, they just want it to stop. No one really knows what makes one child disclose and another not. We do know that it is incredibly important for a disclosure to be heard respectfully and to be believed.
Often when a child discloses incest, he doesn't have words to answer all the questions adults ask. They simply don't understand what is happening. Adults who are already uncomfortable, get frustrated and the whole thing gets dismissed. Oftentimes adults react with denial, and decide that the child was "making it up" or "fantasizing." Just remember... if a child is not believed, it is most likely that he or she won't ever tell again.
Children and teens who have been sexually abused feel many different and overwhelming emotions, like fear, anger, sadness, guilt and confusion.
Every child is vulnerable to sexual abuse. One out of four females is sexually abused by the time she reaches age 18. That could include you, a friend or a sibling. Today's teenagers and children must face the possibility that someone may hurt or take advantage of them. Almost all of these children will be abused by someone they know and trust: a relative, a family friend, or a caretaker.
It happens - and not just to other people. Children of every race, religion and economic status are abused. What makes this problem even worse is that the effects of abuse and incest don't stop when the abuse stops. They stay with the child as he or she grows through adolescence and into adulthood. Self-hatred, alcoholism, drug addiction, depression, eating disorders, the inability to trust and suicide are common results of incest and sexual abuse.

For more information for parents about child sexual abuse, please visit this link to access a brochure in English, Spanish, French or Irish from Child AbuseWatch.net.
Established in 2008, Child AbuseWatch is a child abuse prevent network (www.abusewatch.net). Child AbuseWatch is operated by One Child International Inc., a benefactor-funded Florida corporation, currently undergoing conversion to IRS 501(c)(3) classification.
One Child International Inc and Child AbuseWatch are not affiliated with any religious, political or cultural organization or institution; their only purpose is the protection of children from abuse (Abuse Campaign, 2010).

References:

Abuse Campaign. (2010). http://stopabusecampaign.com - The Signs of Child Abuse. http://stopabusecampaign.com - Home Page. Retrieved April 27, 2011, from http://stopabusecampaign.com/signs-of-abuse/