| |
| |
|
Parenting Information |
|
|
|
What is Child Sexual Abuse?
What is child sexual abuse? Any sexual activity that is imposed on a child by an adult or an adolescent is a sexual assault and abuse of the power of one person over another. This also includes experiences of child to child, teen to child, teen to teen, if there is an age difference of four or more years. The key word in this definition is imposed on a child. Children are trained to trust adults, as well they should. When an adult asks, manipulates or forces a child to do something that is against the child's best interest and welfare, they are imposing an experience that will have life long repercussions: perhaps physically, but especially emotionally. Many behavior problems can be traced to being inappropriately touched or manipulated by someone who had power or authority over a child, and used that power in a sexual way. Sexual abuse doesn't have to involve intercourse. It can range from exhibited genitals, to fondling breasts, genitals or thighs. Some abusers are sexually stimulated by seeing children undressed or engaging in set up sexual games with adults or other children. Some offenders manipulate the child into oral sex or the actual act of intercourse. Others find it amusing to show pornography or to talk "dirty" to those who are younger than they are. Traumatic damage can be done to a sensitive child just by making suggestive references or talking in a sexual way. Sexual abuse can also take the form of child exploitation by photographing the child in a compromising situation, with the intent to either use the photos for their own sexual stimulation or to sell them as pornography. The range of abuse is so wide and varied that it is hard to pin down a specific definition. The fact is sexual abuse of children takes many forms, involves varying degrees of violence and emotional trauma, and is defined in a variety of ways, depending on the culture, context and purpose of the definition. However, the one consistent factor that is always present is the child does not know how to protect himself and someone bigger and stronger has power over them. What many parents, police and others don't understand is that the fear, intimidation and loss of trust are frequently much more harmful than the actual act. It causes confusion about roles, boundaries and sexual awareness. A child or teen that has been abused sexually will need patience, understanding, support and tools to deal with the trauma. © Judy H. Wright, Parent Educator, www.ArtichokePress.com This article was written by Judy Wright, parent educator and author. Feel free to use it in your newsletter or publication, but please give full credit to the author and mention the contact information of JudyWright@ArtichokePress.com, 406-549-9813. You will find a full listing of books, tapes, newsletters and workshops available on finding the heart of the story in the journey of life by going to www.ArtichokePress.com
MORE RESOURCES:
Parenting - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Sharing Books with Children One of my first memories of childhood is that of my mother reading Dr. Seuss books to me in a big brown recliner in our living room. Starting School - What Age Should Children Begin School? "What age should my child start school?"This is a common question that concerns many parents. It is complicated if your child's birthday happens to fall near a closing date for new school enrolments. Internet Dangers - Protecting Children from Internet Jeopardy Parents are in a unique position to "monitor" their children's internet activities and to observe their behavior with respect to any actions generated by the child's internet use. If children are hiding something from a parent, usually an astute parent will sense that something is askew. Awesome Dads Top Ten Ways To Be The Foundation of Your Family Part of the responsibility of being a father is to establish a strong foundation for the family. Just like a building foundation, much of this work goes unseen and rarely gets acknowledged, yet the strength and integrity of the entire structure relies on it. Picky Eater Syndrome 'Picky Eater' is a label coined to describe the phenomenon that someone has discerning taste preferences different from their parents or others. These discerning taste preferences are dictated by their blood and body type. Simple Tricks To Help You And Your Kids To Find Friends One of the most prevalent problems of the computer age is isolation and loneliness. In order to build and maintain relationships there are a number of simple skills, which can be learned, to enhance the opportunity to find and keep friends. Frequently Asked Questions About Reading To Your Child Are you worried about your child's reading habits? Perhaps you feel he or she should be starting to read, but they have no interest in books whatsoever? I had the same problem with my son. Gosh, he would rather chew on 'The Big Book of Nursery Rhymes' than read a word from it! Here's a short list of questions which I find very relevant if you're concerned about your kids' reading habits. 10 keys to Developing Your Childs Genius Would you like your child to be the best that he can be - to achieve his maximum potential? Imagine how successful your child can be with a brilliant mind, lightening fast learning skills, an accurate, lasting memory, creativity and problem solving skills of a genius. Here are 10 keys to developing your child's genius. God Dont Like Rich People I will never forget the day that my daughter's sixth grade friend told me that. We had been discussing someone who had recently lost a fortune and had become very bitter as a result. Study Skills - How Can YOU Help Your Kids? Some years ago when touring the Scottish Highlands, a man I met said something that's stuck with me ever since.He was elderly, yet was still working away on his small farm. Educational Toys - How Do Parents Choose The Best Toys For Their Child The choices are mind numbing. Walk into any toy store or the toy section of any department store and there are shelves and tiers of toys labeled 'educational toys'. The Ten Things That Successful Parents Do 1. They are leaders as well as parents. How Can I Teach My Child Respect? A common theme over the past 20 years has been how much children have changed from when we were growing up in terms of how they show respect. I know that for the most part in the 1960's, anyone in a position of authority commanded respect which included parents, teachers, police officers, principals, bosses, coaches and anyone else we viewed in some way as a person in authority. Help My Preteen/Teenager is Driving Me Nuts! Do you feel like someone has abducted your sweet, innocent child and replaced them with a monster? Are you confused that somehow you have gone from knowing everything as a parent, to knowing absolutely nothing? Welcome to being a parent of a preteen/teenager. It is a brave new world. Stay at Home Mom You Need to Raise Cowboys Now I know that is not how the song goes, I have had cousins from central Texas drag me to Gilley's to listen to that song live and they sang every word without missing a beat. So no emails about the title, please. Time Out for Adults "Get down from the table top right now! What are you doing? Floors are for standing on, tables are for eating. You need a time out, young lady. 7 Ways to Survive the Start of the School Year It happens every year. Just when you are settled in to the lazy days of summer, you are startled to find Back to School catalogs in your mailbox and bikinis going on sale in favor of turtlenecks. Bedtime and Sleep Habits Bedtime and children's sleep habits can cause nightmares - for parents, that is! Often at the end of a long day all you want is a little peace and time for yourself. After all, you have probably devoted the entire to the service of children in some form. Helping Your Teen Get Back to School With Clear Skin Backpack? Check. Notebooks? Check. Keeping the Stress out of Single Parenting Researched through personal experience!Budget Your Money. Even if you are living paycheck to paycheck like most of us, knowing how much money goes to where can be a big help.
|
| home | site map |
| © 2006 |
