Sexual Abuse Flashcards
What activities may be involved in sexual abuse with physical contact?
Assault by penetration(rape or oral sex)
Non penetrative acts such as masturbation, kissing, rubbing and touching in or outside of clothing.
What activities may be involved in sexual abuse without physical contact?
Involving children in looking at sexual images
Involving children in the production of sexual images
Watching sexual activities
Encouraging children to behave in sexually inappropriate ways
Grooming a child in preparation for abuse including via internet
Who can commit acts of sexual abuse?
Anyone can commit these crimes including adult males, females, teenagers and even other children.
How easy is to diagnose a sexual abuse?
It is very difficult, unless the child actually says something or the action is caught.
What are the common indicators that sexual abuse may be occurring?
Statement if the child
Symptoms due to local trauma or infection
Symptoms attributable to emotional effects
Self harm
Sexualised behaviour or inappropriate sexual knowledge of young children
Sexually transmitted infection
Pregnancy
Are all the indicators of sexual abuse only applicable to sexual abuse?
No. They can, and usually are, evidence of conditions other than sexual abuse.
Statement of the child
The child may say something about the abuse they are suffering but the statements they make may be unclear and difficult to recognise as a disclosure of abuse.
Disclosure may occur after a long period of abuse and the child may later reject the statement.
Symptoms of sexual abuse due to local trauma or infection
Soreness around the bottom, vaginal discharge, urinary tract infection, anal pain or bleeding, bruising, lacerations, burns, bites or scratches on the inner thighs, breasts, genital or anal area.
Sexual abuse systems attributable to emotional effects
They may be related to various emotional factors but sexual abuse should be considered.
Such as
loss of concentration,
poor performance at school,
enuresis (wetting)
encopresis (soiling)
Anorexia nervous - eating disorder resulting in severe loss of weight
Self harm As result if sexual abuse
Way to Act out their distress especially during teenage years:
Drug and alcohol abuse
Burn or scar themselves
Make themselves ill.
Attempt suicide.
This signs can be symptoms of self-loathing and inability to betray the abuser who may be quite close.
Why self harm should always be alerted?
It is very dangerous and they will require professional support. They can be or not the results of sexual abuse..
Sexualised behaviour or inappropriate sexual knowledge of young children
Acquired by observing others or watching porn videos/reading porn literature
Abused children may describe pain or other features such as quality of semen which cannot be acquired by observation only.
Abused children may abuse other young children
Are all sexual exploration by children of their own bodies or with other children indicative of sexual abuse?
No. The circumstances and development of the child need to be considered.
Sexually transmitted infection
A small proportion of abused children may have a sexually transmitted infection STI
Pregnancy
A girl who seems unable to explain her pregnancy or who refuses or not know the father, may have been abused.
