Goheen1

AshleighGoheen
Mrs.Rutan
EnglishIV
4May2015

SixThingsYouShouldKnowAbout
CHILDSEXUALABUSE
.
ChildsexualabuseisahugeproblemintheU.S.andaroundtheworlditsonlygrowing.
Childrenofallagescanbesexuallyabused,includinginfantsandteens.Thereasonitis
growingandgrowingisbecausemanyperpetratorsofthisabusedonotgetcaught.
Why?
Well,
itisnotcommonforabusevictims,especiallychildren,toreporttheirabusetopolice.Therefore,
abusersbelievetheyarecapableofrepeatingabusetootherchildrenorthesamechildwithout
gettinginanytrouble.Weneedtoaddressthisissuebylettingyoungabusevictimsknowthat
itsokaytocomeforwardandreport.

1.TheHistory.
Childsexualabusehasbeenaproblemforhundredsofyears.Somepeoplemaynot
thinkaboutchildsexualabuseasaproblemorthatitcanbepreventedbecauseits
suchagargantuanproblem,butitisaproblemthatcanbefixed.Societyhascometo
ignorecasesofabusebecauseithappens
so
much.Studiesshow
thatadultsinelite
householdsinfifteenthandsixteenthcenturyEuropesometimestreatedyoungchildren
assexualplaythings(TheImmanent).Ashockingexampleofchildsexualabuseinthe
sixteenthcenturyistheKingofFrance,LouisXIII.AccordingtoadiarythefutureKing
kept,membersoftheFrenchroyalcourtfondledhisgenitalsandladiesinwaiting
playedsexualgameswithhistinyfists(TheImmanent).Thisjustshowsthatchild


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sexualabusehasbeenaroundforhundredsofyearsandwestillhaventsolvedthe
problem.

2.Longtermeffectsofabuse.
Whenachildissexuallyabused,theyhavetolivewithitfortherestoftheirlives.As
theymoveintoadulthood,therewillalwaysbeproblemswhetheritsinarelationshipor
trustissues.Studiesshowthatahistoryofchildhoodabuse
putspeopleathigherrisk
fordevelopingdepression,anxietydisordersandotheremotionalillnesseslaterinlife
(Goode).Someothereffectsofchildhoodsexualabuseinadultscouldbesomeorallof
thefollowing:PostTraumaticStressDisorder(PTSD),panicattacks,depression,
bipolardisorder,schizophrenia,eatingdisorders,and/orpersonalitydisorders
(ChildhoodTrauma).Asyoucantell,childrendonoteasilygetoversexualabuse.It
stayswiththemforalifetime.

3.Characteristicsofsexualabusevictims.
Whenyouaredealingwithadolescentchildsexualabusevictims,therearethingsto
lookforwhenyouwonderwhetherornottheyhavebeenarearecurrentlybeing
abused.Dependingontheirage,theymayexperiencedifferentcharacteristics.For
example,childrenuptothreemayexhibitfearorexcessivecrying,vomiting,feeding
problems,bowelproblems,sleepdisturbances,orthefailuretothrive(ChildSexual).
Whereaschildrenfromagestwotoninemayexperiencethingssuchasfearof
particularpeople,placesoractivities,regressiontoearlierbehaviorssuchasbedwetting
orstrangeranxiety,victimizationofothers,etc(ChildSexual).Thereareavarietyof
differentcharacteristicssexualabusechildrenshowdependingontheirage.Without
professionalhelp,thechildwillhavetodealwiththatproblemontheirown,mostlikely,
fortherestoftheirlife.

4.Whatcanyoudo?

Therearetensofthousandsofchildsexualabusecasesannuallyanditcanhappento
anychildiftheyarentawareofthedangersthatoccureverydayintheworld.So,
what
can you do?

Thereareanumberofthingsyoucandotoeitherteachchildrenabout
whentosaynoorwhatsexualbehaviorisappropriate.AccordingtotheAmerican
HumaneAssociation,youshouldobserveyourchildrenwhentheyinteractwithothers
toseeiftheyarehesitantorparticularlyuncomfortablearoundcertainadults(Child
Sexual).Makesurethatyourchildrenarealwaysunderthecareofindividualswhoyou
seeassafe.Therearealsootheroptionsifyoudonthaveachild.Forexample,
childrenneedtoknowthattheycanspeakopenlytoatrustedadultandthattheywillbe
believed(ChildSexual).So,ifyouthinkthatachildmayhavebeensexuallyabused,
makesuretheyknowthatyouarethereforthemtotalktoaboutit.Makesuretheyalso
knowthattheyarenotresponsibleforwhathashappenedtothem(ChildSexual).
Theseareonlyafewofthewaysyoucanhelpatroubledchild.


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5.Cases.
Exactlyhowmanycasesofchildsexualabusearereportedeachyear?
Well,studies
showthatmorethan3millionreportsofchildabusearemadeintheUnitedStates
involvingmorethan6millionchildren(areportcanincludemultiplechildren)(Child
Abuse).ThesecasesareonlyonesmadeintheUS.
Think about that
.
Thats
3MILLION
reportsintheUnitedStatesalone!Notonlyisthenumberofcases
reportedinsanelyhigh,butthenumberofvictimsisevenhighersinceonecasecan
involvemorethanonechild.Inthatcase,morethan6millionchildrenarebeingsexually
abusedandreportedeachyear.Thesestudiesdontcountthemillionsofothervictims
thatdontreporttheirabuse.OnearticlefromNitaBhalla,ajournalist,statesthatthe
ownerandmanagerofachildrensboardingschoolinwesternIndiahavebeenarrested
afterfiveminorssaidtheywereraped(ChildrenRaped).Thisisanexampleofacase
thatinvolvesmorethanonechild.Reportedly,thechildrenofthisIndianschoolwere
alsoforcedtowatchpornographicfilmsandactthemoutwithoneanother(Children
Raped).Adisturbingfacttothiscasealsoincludesthatthechildrenweremadetoeat
faecesasapunishmentiftheydidnotcomply(ChildrenRaped).Thisjustshowsthe
varietyofdifferentcrimesthatcanbecategorizedaschildsexualabuse.Casesrange
fromonechildtofifteennonsexualorsexual.Everycaseisdifferent.

6.Differenttypesofsexualabuse.
Childabuseisavagueconceptandcanbeinterpretedinmanydifferentways.Sexual
abusespecificallyincludessexualintercourseoritsdeviations(ChildSexual).There
arethreemaintypesofsexualabuse:touching,nontouching,and/orsexualexploitation.
(ChildSexual).Sometouchingsexualoffensesonachildincludethefollowing:
fondling,makingachildtouchanadultssexualorgans,orpenetratingachildssexual
organswiththepenisoranyotherobjectthatdoesnthaveavalidmedicalpurpose
(ChildSexual).Nontouchingoffensesinclude:engaginginindecentexposure,
exposingchildrentopornographicmaterial,deliberatelyexposingachildtotheactof
sexualintercourse,andmasturbatinginfrontofachild(ChildSexual).Lastly,sexual
exploitationofachildcanincludeeitherbothoroneofthefollowing:engagingachildor
solicitingachildforthepurposeofprostitutionand/orusingachildtofilm,photographor
modelpornography(ChildSexual).Eachofthesecategoriesandthedefinitionsof
themarebroadbecauseineachstatetheyhavedifferentlawswhenitcomestochild
sexualabuseandwhatcanorcannotbeconsideredsexualabuse.Nomatterwhatthe
laws,everysinglethingstatedaboveiscompletelywrongtodotoachild.Weneedto
cometogetherandstoptheproblemonceandforall.


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WorksCited:
28,October."PennStatePaying$59.7MilliontoJerrySanduskyVictims."
LosAngeles
Times
.LosAngelesTimes,28Oct.2013.Web.31Mar.2015.
<http://www.http://articles.latimes.com/2013/oct/28/sports/laspnewswire201310
29>.

"ChildAbuse."
KidsHealththeWeb'sMostVisitedSiteaboutChildren'sHealth
.Ed.
NeilIzenberg.TheNemoursFoundation,01Jan.2012.Web.01Apr.2015.
<http://kidshealth.org/teen/your_mind/families/family_abuse.html>.

"ChildAbuseStatistics."
ChildhelpChildAbuseStatisticsComments
.N.p.,n.d.Web.
29Apr.2015.

"ChildSexualAbuse."
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.Web.14Mar.2015.
<http://www.americanhumane.org/children/stopchildabuse/factsheets/childsex
ualabuse.html>.

"ChildhoodTraumaandAbuseCanHaveManyEffectsonAdultHealth."
Childhood
TraumaandAbuseCanHaveManyEffectsonAdultHealth
.N.p.,n.d.Web.17
Apr.2015.
<http://www.asca.org.au/About/Resources/Abuserelatedconditions.aspx>.

"ChildrenRaped,ForcedtoEatFaecesinIndianSchoolPolice."
Tribunedigitalchicagotribune
.30May2014.Web.17Mar.2015.
<http://articles.chicagotribune.com/20140530/news/snsrtusindiaabuse201405
29_1_policeraidhumanrightswatchfivechildren>.

Goode,Erica."ChildhoodAbuseandAdultStress."
TheNewYorkTimes
.TheNew
YorkTimes,01Aug.2000.Web.17Mar.2015.
<http://www.nytimes.com/2000/08/02/us/childhoodabuseandadultstress.html>.

"TheImmanentFrame."
TheImmanentFrameRSS
.N.p.,n.d.Web.15Apr.2015.
<http://blogs.ssrc.org/tif/2012/07/13/placingchildhoodsexualabuseinhistorical
perspective/>.

PictureCitations:

Image#1(ShatterTheSilence):
http://sites.google.com/site/soundofsilencehyd/home
Image#2(SexualAbuseStats):
http://app.emaze.com/@AOLRQQLW/presentationname#1