| Signs of Child Molestation |
| Signs Of Child Molestation
The younger the child, the more difficult it is to determine if your child has been or is being molested. As a teenager, or even pre-teen, they may just blurt it out, but then you have the problem determining if the accusation was motivated by something other than molestation. We've all heard of the false accusations that ruin the reputations of upstanding citizens. So, how can you know if someone is victimizing your child? Unless you witness it or someone admits it...you can't! Everything relies on your best guess based on the evidence you find. Obviously, you need to have very strong suspicions before formally accusing someone and needlessly damaging their reputation. A great tool to help you assess the possibility of molestation is the following Signs of Child Molestation produced by the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. Following the signs, we'll discuss some actions to take.
Signs of Sexual Exploitation in Children: Parents, grandparents, and guardians should be aware of the signs noted below that could indicate your child has been sexually molested. You should note that some of these behaviors may have other explanations, but it is important to assist your child no matter what the cause of these symptoms or behaviors.
* Changes in behavior, extreme mood swings, withdrawal, fearfulness, and excessive crying
* Bed-wetting, nightmares, fear of going to bed, or other sleep disturbances
* Acting out inappropriate sexual activity or showing an unusual interest in sexual matters
* A sudden acting out of feelings or aggressive or rebellious behavior
* Regression to infantile behavior; clinging
* School or behavioral problems
* Changes in toilet-training habits
* A fear of certain places, people, or activities
* Bruises, rashes, cuts, limping, multiple or poorly explained injuries
* Pain, itching, bleeding, fluid, or rawness in the private areas
**Redness, rashes, and/or bleeding to mouth, genitals or anal areas
**Bruises on private areas
**Complaints of pain or itching while urinating
**Difficulty walking or sitting
**Unusual or offensive body odor
**Difficulty in bladder or bowel control
**Constipation
**Blood in urine
**Abnormal dilation of vaginal or rectal openings
**Sexually transmitted diseases
**Yeast, bladder, urinary or bacterial infections
**Frequent sore throats or ear infections
**Sudden weight gain or loss
**Severe psychosomatic complaints such as stomachaches and headaches
**Suffers sleep disturbances or nightmares
**Has pain, itching, bruising or bleeding in the genitalia
**Engages in sexual activity that is not appropriate for the child's age
**Has a sophisticated understanding of sexual behaviors
**Reverts back to behaviors such as bed-wetting or speech loss
If you observe any of these behaviors, talk to your child about the causes. Behavioral changes such as these may be due to causes other than sexual exploitation such as a medical, family, or school problem. Also keep in mind that sometimes children do not always demonstrate obvious signs such as these but may do or say something that hints at the exploitation.
Information adapted from Just in Case...Parental guidelines in case you are considering daycare and Parental guidelines in case your child might someday be a victim of sexual exploitation. Copyright © respectively 1989 and 2003 National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. All rights reserved.
Child Molestation Conclusion: As you can see from above, the signs can be caused by other things and, even if no signs are present, molestation may be happening. If you suspect molestation, take actions to verify your suspicions. Investigate with your child, the child's friends, teachers, friend's parents, etc. If, at any age, your child confirms your suspicions, you must report it to your local government for their investigation.
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