Child Sexual Abuse

The sexual offender is often a person the child knows and trusts, such as a family member, a family friend, a child care worker, a school employee, or even a clergy member. The abuser can be an  older child, an adult, or even a parent. Despite the benefits we enjoy from the Internet, growing use of the Internet by children and adults has provided child abusers with another way of preying on juveniles, through on-line forums such as chat rooms. Child sexual abusers prey on a child’s obedience, trust, and embarrassment. In the on-line context, they often lie to a child about who they are, their age, and the basis of their interest in the child. In all content, abusers often use threats to prevent a child from reporting the abuse.

Increasingly, parents are bringing civil suits against child abusers and their employers. The suits typically charge an employer, such as a daycare center, with negligence for not properly overseeing employees or screening job applicants for a history of child abuse. As a result, it is now common for organizations that employ adults who work with children to require job applicants to submit to fingerprinting. The fingerprints go to the FBI, which checks for any past child abuse violations by the applicant.

Some people say that children simply imagine episodes of sexual abuse. However, most psychologist stress that young children lack the sexual experience to make up stories of sexual abuse by themselves. Moreover, while it is possible for an older child to invent such a story, such instances are considered unusual. Therefore, anytime a minor reports sexual abuse, his or her story should be taken seriously and investigated.

If a child does report sexual abuse, the police should be notified immediately, and, if justified, charges should be brought against the abuser. An investigation will determine whether the child is in immediate, ongoing danger and whether the case should go to trial. If the alleged abuser is a parent, the child may be removed from the home. Most states currently allow child victims to testify in court through closed circuit television or by means of videotaped questioning to save them from the trauma of having to face their attackers.