Child Sexual Abuse: Facts, Myths, and Prevention Strategies

1. Child Sexual Abuse Juhayna Ajami, PsyD Licensed Clinical Psychologist PSY27518

4. Facts & Stats • 1 in 5 girls and 1 in 20 boys is a victim of child sexual abuse. • Most vulnerable between ages of 7 and 13. • Nearly 40% are abused by older or larger children. • 60% of victims never tell anyone • Non-contact abuse • Most sex offenders deny their crimes • The vast majority of allegations are true https://victimsofcrime.org/media/reporting-on-child-sexual-abuse/child-sexual-abuse-statistics

5. Myths • “Stranger danger” • S/he is only a child and won’t remember • All children who are sexually abused will become emotionally disturbed • Boys are rarely abused • If mothers are around, no one can harm their child • If a parent is close with a child, they can tell if something is wrong, the child would disclose to the parent, and/or the parent would believe immediately • At least he/she wasn’t… • Profession • Sex offender treatment doesn’t work From Working with Non-Offending Parents of Sexually Abused Children. Kim Stolow, Lynne Einhorn, & Sylvie Snyder. Dorothy B. Hersh Regional Child Protection Center.

6. Grooming • Identifying and targeting the victim • Gaining trust and access • Playing a role in the child’s life • Isolating the child • Creating secrecy around the relationship • Initiating sexual contact • Controlling the relationship “Note that this is not common in all cases of CSA; in many scenarios, there is NO grooming or trust at all, only coercion and fear” https://victimsofcrime.org/media/reporting-on-child-sexual-abuse/child-sexual-abuse-statistics

7. How do I know if my child is being abused? • Normal behavior vs abnormal sexual behavior • STDs • Withdrawal, fear, depression, unexplained anger and rebellion • Witnessed • Use of alcohol or drugs at an early age • Chronic stomach pain and headaches • Physical findings • UNCOMMON • Disclosure

8. How does it affect children? • Short term: Regressive behaviors, sleep disturbances, eating problems, behavior and/or performance problems at school, and unwillingness to participate in school or social activities. • Long-term: • Substance abuse • Dissociation • Depression, Anxiety, PTSD symptoms, suicide attempts, eating disorders • Physical health problems • Difficulties in adult relationships and adult sexual functioning. • Anger at the abuser, at adults who failed to protect them, and at themselves for not having been able to stop the abuse. • Those with a prior history of sexual victimization are extremely likely to be re-victimized.

9. How can I protect my child from abuse? • Carefully screen • Don’t ignore suspicious behavior • Let your child make his/her own decisions about giving and receiving affection • Issue of respecting and obeying adults • Naming body parts • Pay attention to your child when he/she does not want to be alone with a certain person • Take advantage of everyday opportunities to talk to your child about prevention • Don’t scold or laugh at your child for telling you a secret • Develop open communication • Don’t disbelieve a child if they tell you they’re being abused From Working with Non-Offending Parents of Sexually Abused Children. Kim Stolow, Lynne Einhorn, & Sylvie Snyder. Dorothy B. Hersh Regional Child Protection Center.

10. Stewards of Children Prevention Toolkit App

11. Mandatory Reporting • Report suspected abuse to the authorities • Can be anonymous • https://www.cde.ca.gov/ls/ss/ap/childabusereportingguide.asp

12. Resources • Inshaykhsclothing.com • Darkness to Light is a non-profit organization dedicated to helping child victims of sexual abuse and adult survivors. They have a network of service providers as well as a toll free help line. • NATIONAL CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE HELPLINE 1-866-FOR-LIGHT • http://www.d2l.org/education/5-steps/ • Children's Advocacy Centeris a non-profit organization that provides training, prevention, and treatment services to fight child abuse and neglect. https://www.nationalcac.org/find-a-cac/ • VictimConnectNational Hotline for Crime Victims1-855-4-VICTIM (1-855-484-2846) • National Child Abuse Hotline1-800-422-4453 • Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN) – rainn.org • National Sexual Assault Hotline & Live Chat: 800-656-4673 online.rainn.org

13. Sources • United States Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Administration on Children, Youth and Families, Children’s Bureau. Child Maltreatment Survey, 2016 (2018). • Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Statistics, Sex Offenses and Offenders (1997). • David Finkelhor, Anne Shattuck, Heather A. Turner, & Sherry L. Hamby, The Lifetime Prevalence of Child Sexual Abuse and Sexual Assault Assessed in Late Adolescence, 55 Journal of Adolescent Health 329, 329-333 (2014) • Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Statistics, Sexual Assault of Young Children as Reported to Law Enforcement  (2000). • H.M Zinzow, H.S. Resnick, J.L. McCauley, A.B. Amstadter, K.J. Ruggiero, & D.G. Kilpatrick, Prevalence and risk of psychiatric disorders as a function of variant rape histories: results from a national survey of women. Social psychiatry and psychiatric epidemiology, 47(6), 893-902 (2012). • United States Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Administration on Children, Youth and Families, Children’s Bureau. Child Maltreatment Survey, 2016 (2018). • https://www.rainn.org/statistics/children-and-teens • http://www.d2l.org/the-issue/statistics/ • http://www.d2l.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Statistics_7_Signs_What-to-do.pdf • Working with Non-Offending Parents of Sexually Abused Children. Kim Stolow, Lynne Einhorn, & Sylvie Snyder. Dorothy B. Hersh Regional Child Protection Center. • Elliott, M., Browne, K., & Kilcoyne, J. (1995). Child sexual abuse prevention: What offenders tell us. Child Abuse & Neglect, 5, 579-594. • Tebbutt, J., Swanston, H., Oates, R. K., O'Toole, B.I. (1997). Five years after child sexual abuse: Persisting dysfunction and problems of prediction. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 36, 330-339. • Finkelhor, D., & Ormrod, R. (2001). Child Abuse Reported to the Police. Juvenile Justice Bulletin, (No. NCJ 187238). Washington, DC: United States Department of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.