Identifying
Child Sexual Abuse
Signs that a child is being sexually abused are often present, but they can be indistinguishable from other signs of child stress, distress or trauma. Knowing what to look for can help.
Signs of child sexual abuse can be physical and / or emotional, with physical signs being less common. Emotional signs can range from too perfect behavior to withdrawal, depression or unexplained anger. It’ s important to remember that some children may show no signs at all. There are also red flag behaviors you can identify if you know what to look for to help intervene in the grooming process.
Emotional Signs
Emotional and behavioral signs or changes are more common than physical signs and can include:
• anxiety and depression
• sleep disturbances, including nightmares or night terrors
• change in eating habits
• unusual fear of certain people or places; reluctance to be alone with a certain person
• changes in mood that may include anger, aggressiveness towards parents, siblings, friends, pets
• rebellion or withdrawal; runaway behavior
• change in attitude towards school or academic performance; lack of interest in friends, sports or other activities
• unexplained or frequent health problems like headaches or stomach aches
• poor self-esteem; avoidance of relationships
• self-mutilation or change in body perception, like thinking of self or body as dirty or bad; suicidal thoughts
• regression to previously outgrown behaviors, for example, bedwetting or thumb sucking
• abnormal sexual behaviors or knowledge of advanced sexual language and behaviors
• too perfect behavior or overly compliant behavior
DARKNESS TO LIGHT https:// www. d2l. org National Helpline: 866. For. Light
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