Child sexual abuse is when an adult or adolescent uses their power and authority to engage a minor in a sexual act and exposes the minor to improper sexual behaviour. Recently, records have it that adults use children for sexual stimulation.
While children are vulnerable to sexual abuse, girls are more likely to be sexually abused than boys.
Sadly, abuse occurs mostly in the home where close family members and friends are common perpetrators. A sexually abused child will find it difficult to trust others even years later.
Being the primary person in the child’s life, the abuser gives special treatments and care as well as gifts and attention to the child, making the child believe that the abuse is an expression of love. The perpetrator as well as use physical power and threat to main their secrecy.
The children are involved in oral sex, vaginal or and penetration, fondling or breasts or involving the child in pornography.
The victims are always silenced by fear of the threats by the perpetrators. And when the children tell, the perpetrator often denies it. Often the perpetrator is believed over the child.
Also, when a child tells an adult and the adult does nothing about it, the child stops trusting adults. This silences and isolates them, at the same time, leaving them angry and distressed.
Children who have been sexually abused suffer many damages, they are unhappy, aggressive and violent, they experience nightmares, they bed wet, have eating problems, mood swings, they equally have pains for no medical reason, their knowledge becomes too advanced for their age.
Reports have it that most cases of child abuse are never disclosed to authorities. The authority should take possible step to react to any report of sexual child abuse. There should be law enforcement against the practices of the law enforcement against the practices of the abusers. They should be judged and punished by law.
Parents have vital role to play in protecting their children against child abuse. They need to offer practical help by maintaining good communication with their children as well as being good listeners.
They should give their children age-appropriate sex education. Having background education about sex makes the child notice and avoid such situation when they arise.
Children have to be shown and taught sensitive parts of the body which when touched, they should scream.
Most importantly, parents shouldn’t react harshly, when their children disclose such information to them, rather they should take possible action helping the child fight over the trauma that could be as a result of the abuse.
