General information

How should I respond to a disclosure of child sexual abuse?
What is Child Sexual Abuse?
Why is child sexual abuse wrong?
Why are children at risk of sexual abuse?
Which children are at risk of being sexually abused?
Who perpetrates child sexual abuse?
What tactics do perpetrators use to abuse children?
Can people recover from being sexually abused?
What barriers may adults experience to providing safety for a child who has been sexually abused?
What impact does child sexual abuse have on the broader community?
Why address child sexual abuse?
How can adults protect children from child sexual abuse?
What are the indicators of child sexual abuse?
Tell me more about national and international perspectives on Children’s Rights
References

How should I respond to a disclosure of child sexual abuse?

What is Child Sexual Abuse?

Child sexual abuse occurs when someone uses their power or authority to involve a child in sexual activity. Child sexual abuse can be physical, verbal and/or emotional (Queensland Government 2011). The Orbit program teaches that there are touching and non-touching forms of child sexual abuse and these can include:

touching a child’s private parts
looking at a child’s private parts
forcing or coercing a child to touch someone’s private parts
taking naked pictures of a child
showing a child naked private parts
showing a child pictures of private parts
using sexually explicit words with a child
asking a child to perform sexual acts.

The private parts of the body are:

bottom/anus
mouth
penis & testicles (for boys)
vagina & vulva (for girls)
nipples (for girls).

The Orbit program teaches that there may be times when an adult will need to look at our touch a child’s private parts, and these include when:

a doctor or parent/carer is helping keep the child clean and the child is unable to do this for themselves, or
a doctor needs to touch a child’s private parts when the child is sick (usually the child’s parent/carer would be present in this situation).

Why is child sexual abuse wrong?

Children do not have an adult’s understanding of sex and sexual relations, therefore children cannot give informed consent. Informed consent can only be given if a child can really understand what they are consenting to. Developmentally, children are not able to decide this and when this is decided for them (in abuse scenarios) it causes harm. In addition, children do not understand the social meaning of sexuality and its potential consequences (SNAICC 2007). Therefore child sexual abuse can never be the fault of the child because they are unable to consent.

Why are children at risk of sexual abuse from adults?

Children rely on adults and the adult world for care. Therefore a natural power imbalance exists between children and adults. Children’s level of cognitive and emotional development does not allow children to make informed choices about sex and sexual activities. Children’s physical development increases their risk of sexual abuse because they could never overpower an adult wanting to abuse them. Children are taught to obey adults and will often trust without question. This innocence and their belief in adults are what make them vulnerable.

Which children are at risk of being sexually abused?

All children, regardless of age, gender, appearance, cultural background, abilities / disabilities or peer group, can be sexually abused. Younger children and children with a disability can be more vulnerable to abuse because they rely on adults more for their personal care and are often less able to articulate any concerns.

Who perpetrates child sexual abuse?

Child sexual abuse offenders can be any age, gender, appearance or cultural background, abilities / disabilities and may be someone who is either known or unknown to the child. In the vast majority of cases children are abused by someone who is known to the child and their family. An Australian Government report (Richards 2011) states that of reported child sexual abuse cases where the victim was under the age of 15, only 11.1 percent were victimised by a stranger. In addition, there is rarely anything noticeably different about child sexual abuse offenders. They can have families and jobs and may be respected members of the community (SNAICC 2007). The majority of child sexual abuse offenders are male, but child sexual abuse offenders can also be female (SNAICC 2007).

Sexual abuse may be perpetrated by an adult, or by another child. In contrast to normal sexual exploration, abuse between children will usually be characterised by the use of threats, bribes, coercion or tricks.

What tactics do perpetrators use to abuse children?

Below is a list of tactics that perpetrators use to abuse children. Some of these tactics overlap and not all tactics are used in all cases of child sexual abuse. Tactics used on children include:

coercion – pressuring the child into doing something the child does not want to do
threats – telling the child they will do something harmful to the child or something bad will happen if the child tells
secrets – preventing the child from telling, by telling the child, “this is our special secret” or by using implied secrecy
bribes – offering the child something if the child does what the offender wants
treats – giving the child things that they like when the child and offender spend time together
making the child feel special – making the child think that the offender really cares about them
blackmail – using pressure or threats to ensure the child does not tell
making the child believe they wanted it – telling the child that he/she thought the child wanted the abuse because of something the child said or did. Alternatively, the child may be confused about what has happened and may think that he/she wanted it, especially if aspects of the abuse felt good
making the child believe it is their fault
tricks – making the child believe something that is not true or is not how the child thought it would be
isolating the child from those who can help them – creating emotional or physical barriers between the child and those who can help them
making the child think no one will believe them if they tell
child grooming – a gradual, progressive process that is used to make the child feel “okay” with the abuse. This is usually done through building a relationship with the child and family, becoming liked and trusted
manipulating the child into believing something that is not true.

Tactics used on the adults who care about the child include:

family grooming – gaining the family’s trust by filling a ‘need’ for the family such as baby-sitter, mentor for child or offering friendship
influencing parents to believe the child is in need of extra guidance, coaching or support
setting child up as someone who is not to be believed as a preventative measure against potential future disclosures.

For the perpetrator, child sexual abuse is not about sex but is about power and control. Sexual abuse perpetrators are a low percentage of the population. Not all adults who build a relationship with your family are trying to sexually abuse your child. However it is useful to be aware of the tactics that perpetrators use. These tactics are used to:

stop others from finding out about the abuse
gain the trust of the child’s family
increase access and opportunity to abuse the child
decrease the chance of the child being believed.

What are the impacts of child sexual abuse on those who have been abused?

Sexual abuse affects those who have been abused, throughout their life (Queensland Government 2011; Lamont 2011). Different individuals feel the effects of abuse in different ways, and there can be long term impacts from sexual abuse, even if no short term impacts are apparent (Queensland Government 2011). Some of the impacts include:

low self esteem
self blame
feeling dislocated from friends and family
distrust of adults
suicidal thoughts and self harming
attachment disorders
physical health problems
behavioural problems
teenage pregnancy
depression
anxiety disorders
learning disorders – children may struggle to learn at school and fall behind their peers
developmental delays
criminal behaviour
high-risk sexual behaviour
behaviour that leads them to be singled out, bullied and victimised
drug and alcohol abuse.

(Queensland Government 2011; Lamont 2011; Access Economics 2008; Mullen & Fleming 1998)

Individuals who have been sexually abused as children also have an increased risk of:

psychological problems
suicide
drug and alcohol misuse
engaging in high-risk sexual behaviour
homelessness
eating disorders and obesity
physical health problems
displaying aggressive, violent and criminal behaviour

(Queensland Government 2011; Lamont 2011; Access Economics 2008; Mullen & Fleming 1998)

Can people recover from being sexually abused?

Recovery from child sexual abuse is best facilitated by a supportive network of significant others. Children who have been abused and have positive school experiences where they feel they have succeeded academically, socially or in sport have significantly lower rates of adult difficulties (Mullen & Fleming 1998). However, there are inherent challenges to recovery for children who experience abuse.

The frequency of the abuse, the age the abuse began, the relationship the child has with the perpetrator are all factors that impact on the child’s recovery. Children who are able to share information with a trusted adult, and who are believed, experience less impact than children who do not disclose the abuse.

The most serious effects of child sexual abuse are likely to occur when no one takes action to stop the abuse or protect the child.

What barriers may adults experience to providing safety for a child who has been sexually abused?

Discovering that a child has been sexually abused can produce feelings of shock, disbelief, guilt, blame, confusion, anger and shame. There can be barriers to providing safety for children who are being sexually abused. These include:

concerns about family breakdown or separation
concerns about family finances
concerns about possible changes required to the family’s living situation
concerns about possible changes required to the family routine and family activities
fear of involvement with statutory agencies and processes including police, child safety, criminal court, family law court
concerns that relationships with family and friends may be affected
possibly triggering memories of own history of abuse
not seeing the situation as sexually abusive

All of these concerns and feelings are very natural. However, adults are responsible for protecting children and an adult should do everything they can to ensure a child is safe.

What impact does child sexual abuse have on the broader community?

Child sexual abuse costs communities in terms of:

unrecognised potential of individuals who have inadequate support to sufficiently recover from childhood abuse
the negative consequences associated with drug abuse, criminal behaviour and unwanted pregnancies that can stem from inadequate support to sufficiently recover from childhood abuse
those who protect, treat and care for children who are abused, and associated organisations.

Learning that child sexual abuse has occurred in a community may lead to:

decreased feelings of trust and safety
decreased sense of connection and involvement with the community (e.g. sporting, cultural, neighbourhood, school)
stigma and isolation within the community.

However, a community that understands child sexual abuse and adequately protects and cares for children can support children who have been sexually abused and their families through the recovery process.

Why address child sexual abuse?

Every human being should have the necessary environment and means to enable him/her to develop to his/her full potential. Addressing child sexual abuse contributes toward providing the necessary environment and means to enable the child to develop to their full potential. Continued violence and abuse takes away a child’s right to safety, privacy and respect and can give them a childhood characterised by worry. In addition, failing to address child sexual abuse creates a culture of secrecy, which assists perpetrators of abuse.

How can adults protect children from child sexual abuse?

Adults can protect children from child sexual abuse by:

believing that child sexual abuse occurs in our communities
being a part of a child’s support network and being responsible for the protection of the child by taking an active role in the child’s life and communicating with the child regularly on significant issues pertaining to the child’s life. The adults will promote a healthy attachment between themselves and the child
providing appropriate supervision and protection of children in their care
recognising that their response to a child’s disclosure of abuse can affect the child’s recovery from the abuse
proactively discussing child sexual abuse with children in their care because:
- proactive discussions with children about abusive behaviours give children the language needed to disclose abusive situations
- these discussions help children know that the adult is someone who is willing and able to have a conversation about sexual abuse
using anatomically-correct terms, rather than slang, to describe and identify private parts of the human body when speaking to children both in everyday conversations and when speaking about sexual abuse
recognising that due to power relations and social conditioning, children may find it difficult to say “no” to adults
helping children in their care identify situations when it is okay to say “no” to adults
helping children in their care practice saying “no” to adults
discussing protective behaviour concepts with children in their care
supporting children in their care to develop a sense of body ownership
distinguishing between and explaining the difference between public and private spaces
examining the barriers to children disclosing sexual abuse and discussing these barriers with children in their care.

What are the indicators of child sexual abuse?

This program encourages children who are being sexually abused to disclose that abuse to their trusted adults. Children displaying inappropriate sexual behaviour may be another indicator of child sexual abuse. See Family Planning Queensland’s traffic lights framework for information on age-appropriate sexual behaviours
http://www.fpq.com.au/publications/fsBrochures/br_Sexual_Behaviours.php

Tell me more about national and international perspectives on Children’s Rights

In Australia there are laws such as the Age of Consent law (Australian Government 2012) designed to protect children. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child explains that governments have a duty to protect children. Furthermore, it outlines the rights that children have including the right to safety, body privacy and respect. It explains that children should be protected from all types of abuse, whether it be physical emotional, sexual or neglect (Unicef).

It is important that children know they have the right to safety, body privacy and respect and that it is okay for a child to protect their rights. However, ultimately adults are responsible for protecting children’s rights.

References

Access Economics. 2008. ‘The Cost of Child Abuse in Australia: Report by Access Economics Pty Limited, Australian Childhood Foundation and Child Abuse Prevention Research Australia at Monash University’. Australian Childhood Foundation. Downloaded from http://www.childhood.org.au/research/ on 06/08/2012.

Commonwealth of Australia. 2012. ‘Age of Consent Laws’. Australian Institute of Family Studies: Child Family Community Australia, Australian Government. Retrieved from http://www.aifs.gov.au/cfca/pubs/factsheets/a142090/index.html on 23/05/2012

Lamont, A. 2011. ‘Who abuses children’. National Child Protection Clearing House. Downloaded from http://www.aifs.gov.au/nch/pubs/sheets/rs7/rs7.html on 06/08/2012.

Mullen, P.E. & Fleming, J. 1998. ‘Long-term Effects of Child Sexual Abuse’, Issues in Child Abuse Prevention, Number 9, Autumn1998. Downloaded from http://www.aifs.gov.au/nch/pubs/issues/issues9/issues9.html on 06/08/2012

Queensland Government. 2011. ‘Child Sexual Abuse’. Department of Communities, Child Safety and Disability Services: Child Safety Services. Downloaded from http://www.communities.qld.gov.au/childsafety/protecting-children/what-is-child-abuse/child-sexual-abuse on 23/05/2012

Richards, K. 2011. ‘Misperceptions about child sex offenders’ Trends & issues in crime and criminal justice No. 429 September 2011. Australian Institute of Criminology, Australian Government. Downloaded from http://www.aic.gov.au/documents/9/A/6/%7B9A6BF515-76DF-4A03-940F-913610809387%7Dtandi429_002.pdf on 04/12/2012

SNAICC (Secretariat of National Aboriginal and Islander Child Care). 2007. ‘Through Young Black Eyes: A handbook to protect children from the impact of family violence and child abuse’. Downloaded from http://snaicc.asn.au/_uploads/rsfil/02513.pdf on 28/05/2012

Unicef. ‘FACT SHEET: A summary of the rights under the Convention on the Rights of the Child’. Retrieved from www.unicef.org/crc/files/Rights_overview.pdf on 23/05/2012