How to prevent child sexual abuse

What is child sexual abuse?

Sexual abuse is when a child is subjected to sexual acts, words, or images. Sexual abuse can occur between an adult and a child. It can also happen between two children if one child has power over the other one. Grooming is often the precursor to abuse.

Examples of sexual abuse:

• A child is made to watch pornographic materials.
• Photos are taken of a child for sexual purposes.
• A child's genitals are groped, or a child is made to touch someone's genitals.
• Sexual images, words, or conversations with children over the internet.
• A teenager is asked to send or sell sexual images of themselves.
• Sexual intercourse with a child.

How to prevent child sexual abuse?

Here are 5 steps to protect children. The material is taken from Barnaheill's course: Guardians of Children.

1. Know the facts and risk factors

• Sexual violence takes place where a lack of boundaries, denial, and fear are normal.
• 60 to 80% of the perpetrators are someone the child knows.
• One of the consequences of sexual assault is avoidance and social isolation.

2. Be vigilant and reduce risk factors

• Sexual behaviour needs to be taught, and children need guidance about it like other behaviours.
• It is important to look at sexual abuse committed by children and adolescents as a behavioural problem rather than violence.
• Children who are victims of sexual abuse usually have signs. We need to know these signs so we can spot them. One sign is if the child often complains of stomach-aches or headaches that have no physical explanation.

3. Education is important

• Prevention means that adults protect children before they are subjected to violence.
• We help children by educating them about boundaries, our bodies, and communication in an age-appropriate way.
• Children who have been educated are more likely to seek help if something happens that makes them feel bad or unsafe.

4. Listen, believe, and support children.

• Believing when a child tells you about abuse is vital. It increases the likelihood that something will be done about the abuse. Believing children protects children.
• If a child opens up about abuse, the adults' reactions can have a major impact. If the adult is not willing to listen or reacts badly, the child might not be willing to talk about the abuse again.
• The foundation is trust and being there for the child. Listen when a child gives signs that something strange is happening to it.

5. Act and report

• If a child seeks help from an adult, the adult must remember to show right behaviour. Remain calm, listen, and be careful of your reactions.
• It is important to follow up on suspicions and react with prompt action. Always give the child the benefit of the doubt.
• When child sexual abuse is dealt with responsibly, it often saves more than one child. Behind one abuser, there can be many victims.