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What is sexual abuse?

It is very difficult for most people to talk about sexual abuse and even more difficult for society as a whole to acknowledge that the sexual abuse of children of all ages -- including infants -- happens everyday in the United States. It is no an easy phenomenon to define, primarily because permissible childhood behavior varies in accordance with cultural, family and social tolerances. Sexual abuse, which is 10% of all substantiated cases of child abuse, is defined as the involvement of dependent, developmentally immature children in sexual activities that they do not fully comprehend and therefore to which they are unable to give informed consent and/or which violates the taboos of society.

Sexual abuse is any misuse of a child for sexual pleasure or gratification. It has the potential to interfere with a child's normal, healthy development, both emotionally and physically. Often, sexually victimized children experience severe emotional disturbances from their own feelings of guilt and shame, as well as the feelings which society imposes on them.

At the extreme end of the spectrum, sexual abuse includes sexual intercourse and/or its deviations. These behaviors may be the final acts in a worsening pattern of sexual abuse. For this reason and because of their devastating effects, exhibitionism, fondling and any other sexual contact with children are also considered sexually abusive.

Nontouching sexual abuse offenses include:
» Indecent exposure/exhibitionism
» Exposing children to pornographic material
» Deliberately exposing a child to the act of sexual intercourse
» Masterbation in front of a child

Touching sexual offenses include:
» Fondling
» Making a child touch an adult's sexual organs
» Any penetration of a child's vagina or anus by an object that doesn't have a medical purpose

Sexual exploitation  offenses include:
» Engaging a child for the purposes of prostitution
» Using a child to film, photograph or model pornography

What should I look for if I suspect a child is being sexually abuse?

YOUNGER CHILDREN	PREPUBERTY AND TEENAGE	OLDER CHILDREN	PHYSICAL INDICATORS
Compulsive masterbation	Stealing	Suicide attempts	Bruises or bleeding in external genitalia
Bed-wetting, soiling	Running away	Early marriage	Complains of pain or itching in genitalia
Excessive curiosity about sex	Starting fires	Running away	Difficulty in sitting or walking
Altered sleep patterns	Excessive bathing	Pregnancy	Torn, stained or bloody underclothing
Learning problems	Being withdrawn and passive	Substance abuse	Sexually transmitted diseases
Separation anxiety	Girls pulling up skirts	Getting in trouble with legal system	Pregnancy, especially in early adolescence
Overly compulsive behavior	Sexual inference in school artwork
Developing fears and phobias	Teaching others how to masterbate
Sexual acting out with peers	Becoming aggressive toward peers
Becoming nonverbal	Succumbing to periods of deep depression
Developing tension symptoms -- stomach aches, skin disorders	Falling grades
Becoming seductive	Alcohol or drug abuse