What Is Child Sexual Violence?

In the United States today studies show that “1 in 4 women and 1 in 6 men are sexually abused before the age of 18” (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2006). Therefore that would mean 42 million adults are survivors of child abuse right here in the United States. Among these children there are 73% of children who do not tell anyone for a year, and many who never tell anyone (The Children’s Assessment Center). If we do not intervene many would say 500,000 babies will be born and sexually abused by the age of 18. It is important is it to be educated in the signs and symptoms of adult and child sexual abuse and getting involved in our own communities to stop this vicious cycle. You may or may not be a social worker or therapist but everyone can help an adult or child just by caring enough to stop and recognize the clues (The Children’s Assessment Center).

Sexual abuse involves forcing or enticing a child or young person to take part in sexual activities, not necessarily involving a high level of violence, whether or not the child is aware of what is happening. The activities may involve physical contact, including assault by penetration or non-penetrative acts such as masturbation, kissing, rubbing and touching outside of clothing. They may also include non-contact activities, such as involving children in looking at, or in the production of, sexual images, watching sexual activities, encouraging children to behave in sexually inappropriate ways, or grooming a child in preparation for abuse, this also includes via the internet. Sexual abuse is not solely perpetrated by adult males, Women and other children can also commit acts of sexual abuse. This type of abuse is usually committed by someone known to the victim not just by sexual predators. It is important to remember that boys as well as girls can also be the victim of sexual abuse. The signs of sexual abuse as with emotional abuse may not be outwardly visible, because of the shame and self-blame a child will have if this is happening or has happened to them, makes it very difficult for a child

1. Children are seldom victims of this crime. Actually, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, in the United States, 1 in 4 girls and 1 in 6 boys is sexually abused by the time they are 18. Consider those numbers for a moment. They are shocking and devastating. Those figures alone should motivate parents to seek out prevention strategies.

“The Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act” states’ that “child abuse is the leading cause of death in children under the age of eighteen.” Child abuse occurs when adults inflict violence and cruelty upon children. Abuse is any willful act that results in physical, mental, or sexual injury that causes or is likely to cause the child to be physically, mental, or emotionally impaired. Abuse happens to children of any age, sex, race, religion, and social status.

“A University study found 20.6% of women and 10.5% of men reported non-penetrative childhood sexual abuse by the age of 16 and that 7.9% of women and 7.5% of men reported penetrative childhood sexual abuse by the age 16 years. (Mamun, Lawlor, O’Calloghan, Bor, Williams. & Najman, 2007 Queensland University

with Research conducted on the characteristics of female sexual abusers uses three specific case examples of young girls, ages: ten, twelve, and sixteen. In two of three case examples, the girls had reported being sexually abused at a young age. The third girl, age sixteen, did not explicitly state she had been sexually abused, but has close ties with her father who is a known sex-offender,; therefore it is believed that she has been sexually abused during childhood. A review of adolescent offenders of sexual abuse, under the age of 21, shows: “Chi-square analyses showed significant associations between those who targeted children and being sexually abused or having a family member subject to sexual abuse” The study also reports that those that have experienced sexual assault at a young age, and have been reported to sexually assault other children typically have poor relationships with peers and family members in addition to experiencing two or more instances of

Sexual abuse, whether of adults or children, is also abuse of a position of power. It also covers any behaviour by any adult towards a child to stimulate either the adult or child sexuality. When the victim is younger than the age of consent (it is a minimum age at which a person is considered to be legally competent to consent to sexual acts), it is referred to as child sexual abuse.

Studies done by David Finkelhor, Director of the Crime Against Children Research Center, show that about one in five girls and about one in twenty boys are victims of child sexual abuse. Over the course of their lifetime, 28% of U.S. youth’s aged 14 to 17 have been sexually victimized. According to the 2003 National institute of Justice report three out of four adolescent children have been sexually violated by someone they knew very well (Child Abuse Statistics , 2012). The figure below represents children’s exposure to violence in 2011 by the child’s age. The graph shows that children from the ages fourteen to seventeen were sexually victimized the most while children aged zero to one were least exposed sexually (Childrens Exposure to Violence , 2013).

James and Gilliland (2017) noted, the National Sexual Violence Resource Center`s (2005), reported the numbers for sexual abuse in childhood are astounding. One in four girls and one in six boys will be sexually abused before they turn 18 years old (Finklehor, hotaling, Lewis, & Smith, 1990).

Male abusers were abused during childhood reach seventy-three percent. According to national sample[15] of children and youth, [6] 60 percent of children who are 17 years old or even younger have been either directly or indirectly experienced violence. [7] Children’s Exposure to Violence claims that 41% of kids were physically harassed before 2011; More than one-half of kids had been encountered during lifetime; children who underwent abuses within previous year are 14%; six percent of children admit that they have been met sexual harassment over past

Children between the ages of three to five years old are considered to be the most vulnerable to be a victim of sexual abuse. Children need to have supervision at all times, especially during times like changing clothes and bathing. If unsupervised, this can open the door for sexual abuse by the relatives, babysitters, etc. The second risk factor is the socioeconomic status; the offender will notice the child isn’t getting any attention from the family and will manipulate the situation with the child. The perpetrator will offer to buy the child things that the family can’t, listen to the child’s problems and gain their trust. The level of education plays a role, if the child is raised by a single parent and/or if the parents have marital problems. Once trust is established this is when the perpetrator will sexually abuse a child. Lastly, the final part is how well the child knows the perpetrator. The abuse of the child usually has occurred for a long time due to the close relationship between the child and perpetrator. The perpetrator will groom the child and his/her family by doing things for them, which the abuser has been targeting the child for

Children between the ages of three to five years old are considered to be the most vulnerable to be a victim of sexual abuse. Children need to have supervision at all times, especially during times like changing clothes and bathing. If unsupervised, this can open the door for sexual abuse by the relatives, babysitters, etc. The second risk factor is the socioeconomic status; the offender will notice the child isn’t getting any attention from the family and will manipulate the situation with the child. The perpetrator will offer to buy the child things that the family can’t buy for the child, listening to the child’s problems and gain their trust. The level of education plays a role, if the child is raised by a single parent and/or if the parents have marital problems. Once trust is established this is when the perpetrator will sexually abuse a child. Lastly, the final part is how well the

Research indicates that 1 out of every 4 children will be the victim of sexual abuse before reaching age 18

What is child sexual abuse? Child sexual abuse or child molestation is a form of abuse in which an adult or older adolescent uses a child for sexual stimulation. Forms of child sexual abuse include asking or pressuring a child to engage in sexual activities, indecent exposure such as “flashing” or showing private parts, physical sexual contact with a child, or using a child to produce child pornography or prostitution.

Child abuse is any form of physical, psycological, social, emotional or sexual maltreatment* of a child. It could be endangering the survival, the safety, the sefl-esteem, the growth and the development of the child. Child abuse is more than just bruises and broken bones. Not all child abuses are obvious.