Signs of Child Sexual Abuse!

About 18% of girls and 8% of boys around the world experience child sexual abuse.

What is child sexual abuse?

Child sexual abuse is any sexual activity that involves a child under 18 years old. Usually, someone the child knows or trusts does this.

According to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), in India in 2020, 28.9% of children were victims of child sexual abuse. This means 1 in 4 girls and 1 in 13 boys faced sexual abuse, and in 93% of cases, the person who did it was someone the child knew or trusted.

How does child sexual abuse happen?

Often, the abuser uses a method called “grooming,” where they build trust with the child or their family. Over time, this trust makes it easier for the abuser to take advantage. Because of this trust, it’s hard to see that someone close would do such a thing.

Here are 10 signs that might show your child is being sexually abused:

Trouble walking or sitting

Pain, itching, or bleeding in private parts

Sudden anger or irritability

Fear of certain people or places

Nightmares or trouble sleeping

Refusing to change clothes

Knowing more about sexual things than expected for their age

Trying to hurt themselves or talking about suicide

Feeling anxious or depressed

Asking strange questions about adults or sexual activities

How can you tell if your child is just curious or if they are being sexually abused?

Children are naturally curious about their growing bodies and might want to know the differences between boys and girls. They might also play games like “doctor” with their friends.

But if your child talks about sexual activities that are too mature for their age, or if they are afraid of a certain person or place, or if they have pain or bleeding in their private parts, these could be signs of sexual abuse.

In these cases, it’s important to get help from a professional to make sure your child gets the right support.

Source:-

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8445113/ 

                 https://cspm.csyw.qld.gov.au/practice-kits/child-sexual-abuse/working-with-children/seeing-and-understanding/understanding-indicators-of-child-sexual-abuse-and