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Definition:
"Child sexual abuse
refers to the use of a child (defined as any person under the age of
16) by an adult for sexual purposed whether or not consent is
alleged to have been given. It includes: acts of exposure;
sexual touching; oral or vaginal penetration; and the exposing of a
child to, or involving a child, in pornography or prostitution.
Any form of direct or indirect sexual contact between a child and an
adult is abusive since it is motivated purely by adult needs and
involves a child who, by virtue of her/his age and position in life,
is unable to give consent. Sexual activity between children
constitutes sexual abuse when it is between siblings or when it is
clear, by difference in developmental levels, coercion and/or lack
of mutuality, that one child is taking advantage of another." (Child
Sexual Abuse Protocol, 3rd Edition, 1995, p.1)
Further examples of
child sexual abuse can include taking pictures or videos of naked
children, naked children look at pornographic pictures or videos of
people having sex, showing children a person's "private parts",
making children touch a person's "private parts" in any way, or
making rude/lewd or suggestive sexual comments to a child. In
Canada, sexual offences including act of exposure, sexual touching ,
oral, anal and/or vaginal penetration, exposing a child to, or
involving a child in pornography or prostitution are crimes that are
included in the Canadian Criminal Code. Sexual abuse is
illegal; it is a crime!
Indicators of Child
Sexual Abuse:
A child's age and
level of maturity and development must be considered when
interpreting possible behavioral indicators of sexual abuse.
- Sexual knowledge
or language that is inappropriate to the child's age or
developmental level.
- An unusual
interest in, or preoccupation with, sexual maters.
- Hints about
sexual activity through actions or comments that are
inappropriate to the child's age or developmental level.
- Excessive
masturbation.
- Persistent
urinating of defecation in clothes.
- Regressive
behavior, for example, baby talk, thumb sucking.
- Fear or avoidance
of any aspect of sexuality.
- Sexually
suggestive behavior with adults or older children.
- Poor social
boundaries.
- Starting fires or
fascination with fire.
- Destroying
property, hurting or mutilating animals.
- Running away.
- Promiscuity or
prostitution.
- Refusing to
undress for activities and/or often wearing layers of clothing.
- Creating stories,
poems or artwork about abuse.
- Suicidal feelings
or attempts at suicide.
- Difficulty
concentrating and being withdrawn or overly obedient.
- Being seemingly
accident prone.
Please note: Some of
the indicators listed above may be signs that a child is at risk of
harm gut not necessarily because of sexual abuse.
Physical Indicators:
- Bruising,
bleeding, swelling, tears or cuts on genitals or anus.
- An unusual
vaginal odor or discharge.
- Pain or itching
in genital area, difficulty going to the bathroom, walking or
sitting.
- Sexually
transmitted disease, especially in a preadolescent child.
- Pregnancy.
Reporting Child Sexual
Abuse:
If you believe you
have reasonable grounds to suspect that a child is being sexually
exploited or abused, promptly report your concerns to
the child welfare agency, provincial or territorial social services
department or police force in you community. In all cases, the
person reporting is protected from any kind of legal action,
provided the report is not falsely made and motivated by malice.
Where to go for
Support Services:
Contact your local
- child protection
services
787-3760
- child abuse line
569-2724
- police
777-6500
- mobile crisis
757-0127
- crisis/suicide
line
525-5333
- hospital
General Hospital - 766-4444
-
Pasqua Hospital - 766-2222
- mental health
clinic
766-7800
- child and youth
mental health services
766-7400
Children who want help
can also call the Kid's Help Phone 1-800-668-6868.
Aftereffects of
Childhood Sexual Abuse/Adult Survivors:
in an attempt to cope
with the reality of child sexual abuse, survivors develop survival
skills. These skills sometimes evolve to a point where they
become self-destructive. Many survivors of child sexual abuse
go from being seen as victims to being identified as problems.
They often are labeled according to to the symptoms they develop,
such as depression or delinquency. These labels deal with
characteristics of a particular behavior not with the origin of the
behavior.
Memory lapses result
when a child attempts to block our traumatic events. A
seemingly innocent memory may provoke feelings of anxiety or
depression. You might feel afraid when you remember being
tucked in at night but are unable to pinpoint where that fear
comes from. You might remember being in grade one but not
grades two, three or four. There may be a feeling of unease
when you think of the gaps in your childhood memories.
When the memories
return there may be an accompanying feeling of disbelief. "Did
this really happen or is this a product of my own mind?"
Recovering the memories is helpful in the healing process. As
an adult, you are probably better equipped to deal with the reality
of the abuse that when you were a child. Telling yourself to
forget it does not make the abuse go away, but it is a very common
form of coping.
Often the memories
return in the form of flashbacks which cause you to experience all
of the emotional reactions you experienced at the actual time of the
abuse. These flashbacks can happen at any time and be
triggered by smells. sights or sounds. It is important to
remember that these are common occurrences and you are not going
crazy. the sense of going crazy may be experienced by
survivors who are unaware of the origin of their flashbacks.
Chemical dependency
works in much the same way as forgetting. Drugs and alcohol
may be used to block the negative emotions we have been told not to
have or express. They help us forget or they make the memory
of the abuse less painful by dulling our senses. It is hard to
think when you are stoned and even harder to feel.
Prescription drugs can also be used to block emotions. While
in some cases the use of prescription drugs is appropriate, in
others, they only serve to handle symptoms rather that deal with the
root of the problem.
Cutting, burning or
scratching are all forms of self-mutilation and are sometimes used
to provide a physical outlet for the mental anguish victims feel.
We can usually get attention and sympathy for our physical ailments
that is not offered when we express our emotional pain.
Becoming involved in physically or emotionally abusive relationships
can be a re-creation of the past. Eating disorders (under and
over eating), parenting problems and confusion or discomfort about
sexuality are other symptoms that may have their roots in past
abuse.,
Sometimes it is hard
to see the connection between these behaviors and sexual abuse but
if you think about when they started, the reason for them
becomes more apparent. Lifelong patterns are not something
that can be changed in a day. Learning about your self-worth,
believing you did not deserve or provoke the abuse and exploring new
outlets for unexpressed emotions takes time. It can result in
developing a healthy self-image. At the Regina Women's
Community Centre & Sexual Assault Line we use the term survivor to
refer to those who have grown and flourished despite being sexually
abused as children. We fell it is important to recognise and
acknowledge the strength it takes to survive. Becoming a
healthy survivor takes a lot of hard work and it can be painful.
One of the first risks you may take is talking about the abuse.
It can help but it is just the beginning of the healing process.
Getting Help:
A possible first step
in resolving the issues surrounding the sexual abuse is talking
about it. This can be a way for you to take some control -
it never was your secret, it was the offender's secret to keep.
Victim's often think they are responsible for their vicimisation.
Offenders usually enforce this feeling by telling their victims that
it is their own fault, that they deserve to be treated like objects.
If, as a child, you
enjoyed the feeling of being special that sometimes accompanies
sexual abuse (particularly, when there was no physical force) you
may believe you asked for it. What you probably wanted was
what all children want and need - love and nurturing. If you
were forced to trade sexual abuse in order to get what you needed
you may be stuck with feelings of shame and guilt. The shame
belongs to the offender. they were older, more mature, misused
their position of trust and made a conscious decision to use a child
- YOU - to meet their own needs.
It is important to
remember at all times that under no circumstances whatsoever was the
abuse ever your fault.
The Sexual Assault
Centre offers counselling for survivors of child sexual abuse.
If you call the Centre (522-2777), you will most likely be asked
what we can do to help, someone will listen and believe you and
provide information about sexual abuse. All of our crisis line
workers have been trained and they are there because they understand
and care. Talking to someone who cares may be your first
opportunity to break the silence that has been imposed on you.
It is up to you to
decide which alternative suits you. If you make an appointment
to see a counsellor it may be comforting to now that your initial
visit does not have to involve "telling it all". You have the
right to decide when and how much you will tell and to whom.
Getting Help:
Counselling can help
with the emotional aftermath of child sexual abuse. Victims ay
choose to get counselling when they feel they are ready. There
are lots of counselling options including individual and group
therapy. As well, there are many individuals and agencies that
offer counselling in Regina ad the surrounding area. They
range in cost from free to what you can afford to to private
counsellor rates. To find out what option will work best for you,
you can call us and ask for referrals.
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