Signs of Sexual Abuse in Children
We need to be aware of the signs below that could indicate your child was sexually abused. Please understand some of these behaviors may have other explanations, but they still call for you as a parent to help your child and determine the cause of these symptoms or behaviors.
- Changes in behavior, extreme mood swings, withdrawal, fearfulness, and excessive crying
- Bed-wetting, nightmares, fear of going to bed, or other sleep disturbances
- Acting out an inappropriate sexual activity or showing an unusual interest in sexual matters
- A sudden acting out of feelings or aggressive or rebellious behavior
- Regression to infantile behavior; clinging
- School or behavioral problems
- Changes in toilet-training habits
- A fear of certain places, people, or activities
- Bruises, rashes, cuts, limping, multiple or poorly explained injuries
- Pain, itching, bleeding, fluid, or rawness in the private areas
If you observe any of these behaviors, talk to your child about the causes. Behavioral changes such as these may be due to causes other than sexual exploitation. This could be a medical, family, or school problem. Also, keep in mind that sometimes children do not always demonstrate obvious signs such as these but may do or say something that hints at the exploitation.
Child Molestation Conclusion
As you can see from above, the signs can be several things and, even if no signs are present, molestation may still be happening. If you suspect molestation, take action to verify your suspicions. Investigate with your child, the child’s friends, teachers, friend’s parents, etc. If at any age, your child confirms your suspicions, you must report it to child protective services or the police for their investigation.
Please don’t avoid the signs and listen to your children. Get the word out and share this post using the social media buttons below. Thank you.
