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How Often Does Child Sexual Abuse Get Reported?
Not nearly as often as it should. Most child abuse victims
never report the crime or get help in coming to grips with
this life-changing trauma. They move into adulthood with a
broken heart and low self esteem. Much misbehavior and acting
out can be traced to an incident which occurred which left
the child feeling confused, betrayed and angry.
In an attempt to cope with the confusing reality of what
has happened to them, many children develop survival skills
or behaviors that will help them to cover up what they are
really feeling. Families, friends and society sometimes see
and judge the problem behavior when it is actually a symptom
of the internal pain which has never been addressed.
The number of reports is rising each year due to mandatory
reporting laws, better public education and greater public
awareness of the problem. Over the last 30 years many key
developments in law enforcement have made it easier to deal
with victims and their families with greater understanding,
making it easier for them to come forward and ask for help.
In the Commonwealth Fund Survey of the Health of Adolescent
Girls, they found that of sexually abused children in grades
five through twelve, 48% of the boys and 29% of the girls
had told no one about the abuse—not even a friend or sibling.
If indeed, sexual abuse happens to one in four children, yet
only 1.8 cases are reported per 1,000 children you have to
wonder why.
The most common reasons given by victims for not reporting
these crimes to authorities:
- They feel no one will believe them, as the perpetrator
has told them repeatedly.
- They are so consumed with self-blame and shame that it
happened to them.
- A parent or another adult believes them, but doesn’t want
to involve outside parties. They feel it is a private matter
and they will just keep the child away from the individual
who was hurting them, so as not to disturb the family unit
or community.
- The child or the family is afraid of reprisal from the
assailant.
There is always hope and assistance for recovery:
Even if your child or you made a decision to not report it
at the time abuse happened, please check out the resources
in back of my book: Aware, Assertative but Not Afraid-Protecting
Your Children From Sex Abuse and Finding Help if It Has Occurred.
I have included almost 100 resources for help. There are so
many different methods and techniques to help you heal and
gain greater understanding of what has happened to you or
your child. No one deserves to suffer from painful memories.
Healing is possible no matter how long ago the abuse took
place. There is help, guidance and tools available to assist
both victims and perpetrators overcome painful pasts and look
forward to a future full of hope and promise.
Every state has a child-protection agency that is responsible
for investigating sexual-abuse complaints. Any incident, or
suspected incident, should be reported to this agency and
to the police. Go with the child and then refrain from talking
about the incident in front of people who really don’t need
to know. When you report it to the police, ask for an officer
trained in dealing with children and ask for a private place
to discuss the situation. Children are usually a little bit
more open with someone who does not remind them of the perpetrator.
Stay with your child and support him/her as they answer questions.
What should a parent do:
Tell them again and again, that they are not at fault. Reiterate
that it is the job of adults to protect children, not hurt
them. Reassure them that you believe them and will support
their efforts and those of the police in seeing this never
happens to another child. Most offenders molest more than
one child; especially in cases of incest. Breaking the silence
and reporting the perpetrator to the authorities or a trusted
adult will protect other children. Be sure to tell your child
it takes courage to speak out when things are wrong, and you
are proud of them for stepping forward.
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About the Author:
© Judy H. Wright, Parent Educator and PBS Consultant - www.ArtichokePress.com
This article has been written by Judy H. Wright,
a parent educator and PBS consultant. You will find a full
listing of books, tele-classes, and workshops listed at www.ArtichokePress.com.
You have permission to use the article providing full credit
is given to author. She may be contacted at 406-549-9813 or
JudyWright@ArtichokePress.com
Article Source, click
here.
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