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Thousands of adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse live in the Greater Seattle area. Too few are able to take advantage of the support and guidance of skilled and experienced therapists, who can help survivors regain hope and find their way to healing.
Keeping Children Safe from Sexual Abuse is an Adult Responsibility
- There are 2 conditions necessary for children to be abused - vulnerability and opportunity. Realize that, by definition, all children are vulnerable and are dependent on adults to keep them safe. To safeguard the vulnerability of children, be aware of all those who have access to children and especially those who have one-on-one or unstructured time with children.
- Know the signs of grooming. The vast majority of children who are abused are abused by someone they know and trust. Perpetrators gain access to children and build trust through the subtle and insidious process of grooming.
- Trust your instincts. If you have any questions or concerns about the interest that an adult (regardless of that adult's status or reputation) is expressing in a child, intervene - speak up - err on the side of caution.
- Learn common warning signs in children who may be experiencing abuse: deteriorating school performance; fear of being alone with a particular person; changes in eating or sleeping habits; withdrawal from others, or "too perfect" behavior. Any sudden or significant change in behavior is a red flag.
- Monitor your child's internet use. Unfortunately, predators have easy access to children on-line.
- Know that children are unlikely to tell someone they're being abused. The shame of being abused is a significant deterrent to divulging the abuse and it is not uncommon for abusers to threaten their victims if they tell.
- Keep communication lines open with your children. Encourage your children to tell you about things that happen to them that make them feel scared, sad or uncomfortable. Teach them to trust their instincts - let them know it's important to know when they feel uncomfortable with someone and to act on their intuition.
This is a helpful resource from The National Child Traumatic Stress Network on what to do if a child discloses abuse, dealing with the shock of intrafamilial abuse, and more.
Learn more about this silent epidemic by reading facts about childhood sexual abuse, symptoms in adult survivors, the need for help, the benefits of therapy and stories from survivors.
We also encourage you to find out about books, films and organizations for survivors and to see the education and advocacy servicesthat Shepherd's Counseling Services offers to the community.