Executive Defense Technology, LLC

The greatest problem in America may not be murder, drug abuse, cancer, or heart disease, but rather the exposure of children to abuse.  Childhood sexual abuse is running rampant, yet it’s the best-kept secret in our nation today. Its victims grow into adulthood with their little child’s heart trapped in the pain and torment of their past.  It is unacceptable to condition youth to accept maltreatment as normal, to diminish their enjoyment of life, or to shorten their lives.  Yet, this is happening more frequently, as sexual abuse is increasing.

Sexual abuse hurts. The impact of painful memories can cause years of suffering.  Abuse damages children physically and emotionally.  Sexual abuse is never a normal part of growing up.  Seducing children exposes defenseless, unprotected and innocent persons — kids — to serious damage.  Kids wonder what is going on.  Child molesters know; kids do not.  Some abusers are stimulated by the victim's naiveté.

For too long, wishful thinking has dominated the child abuse problem.  Wishful thinkers assume our nation's leaders are focusing efforts on sound and effective prevention policy.  Somehow, they trust, child abuse will be eliminated.  They believe churches, social agencies, and government combine resources in a broad-based, unified strategy.  They conclude if sexual molestation is a serious and widespread problem, our culture — a moral society — is playing an active and meaningful role in its elimination. They are dangerously wrong. 

If you think child abuse doesn't affect your family, know that a perpetrator may legally be living next door to you, shopping where you shop, and working where you work.  (They may very well be in your family).  A perpetrator's victims may grow up to be your children's friends, spouses and coworkers. 

My family, unfortunately, can tell you, from personal experience, wishful thinking doesn’t work!   Like most people in our society, Prosecuting Attorney's tend to turn a deaf ear to the cries of children when they report sexual assault.  The two hardest lines we heard from the Prosecuting Attorney were "it's a family problem" and it's a "he said/ she said" case.  The sad thing about these two statements is that 90% of all victims fall within the first category and almost ALL rape and molestation cases fall within the second. 

This unfortunately, is also not a "local" problem.  I have heard these same stories and frustrations due to lack of attention and prosecution from parents all over the U.S. and Canada.  Most people feel that if they acknowledge the fact that American children are being abused at the rate of one child every 2 minutes and molestation affects every 1 in 10 homes then it can happen in their home and that isn't something ANY of us wants to think about!

We are gambling with our children's future!   It is time to stop wishful thinking and examine the facts!

· 1 out of every 3 girls are sexually abused by age 12 yrs

· 1 out of every 5 boys are sexually abused by age 12 yrs

· A child is sexually abused every two minutes

· 95% of child victims know and trust their attackers.

· Only 25% of all CSA cases are ever reported.

· 5% of those will never get to court; 50% of those children will be returned to the alleged abuser.

· One in 10 homes are involved in child sexual abuse, a leading cause of child prostitution and teen suicide.

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TIPS ON SPOTTING A PREDATOR (although not all inclusive):

1. Often offend where they won't get caught and when they have misdirected people's attention
2. Often married or in relationships
3. Offend when the victim is handy
4. Not always strangers, often family members, family friends and neighbors
5. Good manipulators (seduction is an integral part)
6. Overly self-indulgent
7. Arrogant
8. Sexualize, objectify women
9. Users of various kinds of pornography
10. Typically known as rationalizes, intellectualizes, justifiers
11. Great helpers and are there to lend a helping hand and prey on people in need, when they can insinuate themselves in your life
12. Use stressful and vulnerable situations to get in and they find a need they can fill and they use that to get next to the victim

Child sexual abuse can be hard to detect for several reasons. Children's bodies tend to naturally heal very quickly and sexual predators are known to extensively groom their victims to ensure that little or no evidence of the assault took place.

        While this list is by no means exhaustive, it can serve as an initial tool for a concerned party to evaluate whether they should report a possible case of child sexual abuse to the police or local child protective services.

·  A sudden regression to infantile behavior in a child that does not normally exhibit such symptoms. These include thumb-sucking, excessive crying and bedwetting.

·  Disturbed sleep patterns, sudden fear of the dark, or excessive nightmares.

·  A disturbance of appetite.

·  Behavioral differences such as fearfulness, withdrawal, and crying for no apparent reason.

·  Lashing out in school or a sudden decline in grade performance.

·  A marked increase in aggressiveness and/or anger.

·  A marked intolerance of being touched, even hugged.

·  Suicidal thoughts and behavior.

·  Strange clothing, such as turtlenecks or long sleeves in the summer.

·  An irrational fear of being left alone.

·  A seemingly irrational and sudden fear of being left alone with a certain person.

·  Direct or indirect statements or hints about the abuse.

·  A sudden behavior of sexual activity with other children or adults.

·  Strange drawings or paintings that hint at sexual activity.

·  An unexpected and unwarranted increase in curiosity about anything sexual in nature.

·  Unusually stained or torn undergarments.

·  A sudden onset of unexplained injury to the genitals, mouth, or anal area as well as urinary infections or STDs.