Child Sexual Abuse
Sexual abuse is a serious issue for any age, but for children it is something that is unimaginable, but unfortunately more common than you would think. Research taken with 2,275 young people aged 11-17 about their experiences of sexual abuse suggests around 1 in 20 children in the UK have been sexually abused. Unfortunately girls and older children are more likely to experience sexual abuse.
What is sexual abuse to a child?
Child sexual abuse is when a child is forced or persuaded to take part in sexual activities. This may involve physical contact or non-contact activities and can happen online o1 Columnr offline. Children and young people may not always understand that they are being sexually abused.
It's never a child's fault they were sexually abused – it's important to make sure children know this.
What are the effects sexual abuse can have on a child?
Experiencing sexual abuse can have a long-lasting negative impact on a child’s wellbeing that can reach into adulthood.
Effects include:
-Mental health issues, for example, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, and depression.
-Challenging behaviour, such as substance misuse, sexualised behaviour, offending
-Relationship problems, for example, intimacy issues, or having unstable relationships.
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-Being vulnerable to further sexual abuse or other types of abuse.
How can you help sexually abused children?
Not only will you have full support from your Social Worker, but there are also so many resources online as well as helplines and live chats.
Never be afraid to tell someone you are concerned about your child's safety or challenging behaviour. They may be scared or anxious to talk about their problems or how they are feeling, so you seeking help for them could be very important.
You can watch the video below on how to set your family a safety plan. This will help you and your children set boundaries and understand body language and behaviour changes when they are feeling scared or triggered about what they have experienced.
Ready to change a young person's life?
(Made to each fostering household with a placement).