Resources and Links
Gathered from a variety of sources, including the U.S. Department of Justice, RAINN, CalCASA, Monterey County Rape Crisis Center and others. Although numbers and percentages will vary – being difficult to pin down they reveal how extensive the problem of sexual abuse is in our society.
Alarming statistics
- One in six boys are sexually assaulted by the age of 16.
- 93% of juvenile sexual assault victims know their attacker.
- 34.2% of attackers were family members.
- 58.7% were acquaintances.
- Only 7% of the perpetrators were strangers to the victim.
- Of the 22.3 million adolescents in the U.S. today, 1.8 million have been victims of serious sexual assault.
Victims of sexual assault are
- 3 times more likely to suffer from depression.
- 6 times more likely to suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder.
- 13 times more likely to abuse alcohol.
- 26 times more likely to abuse drugs.
- 4 times more likely to contemplate suicide.
Around the world
- At least 1 in 3 women and 1 in 6 men have been beaten, coerced into sex, or otherwise abused in their lifetime. Most often the abuser is someone known to the victim.
Perpetrators
- 82% of the suspected perpetrators of child sexual abuse in a study sample were at the time of the offense, or had been at some time, involved in a heterosexual relationship with a close relative of the child they victimized.
- The typical child sex offender molests an average of 117 children, most of whom do not report the offense.
10 Ways to Stop Child Abuse
- Act on your suspicions. If you suspect a child is being abused or neglected, trust your instincts. Suspected abuse is enough of a reason to make a report to the authorities. You do not need proof.
- Be aware of unexplained injuries. Note unusual burns or bruises in the shape of objects, or unconvincing explanations of a child’s injuries.
- Notice changes in behavior. Abuse can lead to many changes in a child’s behavior, ranging from becoming isolated and withdrawn to becoming overly aggressive.
- Notice a child’s fear of going home. If a child is a victim of physical or sexual abuse, he or she may display apprehension about leaving school or going places with the abuser.
- Notice if a child is expressing inappropriate knowledge of sexual relations. If a child is a victim of sexual abuse, he or she may exhibit overly sexual behavior, or use explicit sexual language.
- Notice unexplained weight loss or other signs that a child is not getting enough to eat. Underfed children may be unusually sluggish or fatigued.
- Notice if there is an unexplained drop in a child’s attendance at school. Children may be unable to attend school due to injuries from their abuse or intentionally held out of school to cover up visible signs of abuse.
- Notice if a child is stealing or begging for food from fellow classmates or members of the community.
- Children who do not get enough to eat may resort to trying to obtain food in whatever way they can.
- Notice a child’s lack of personal care or hygiene. Young children who have been neglected or abused may appear dirty or uncared for or have unsuitable clothing for the weather conditions.
- Notice if there is a decline in a child’s performance in school. Abuse may affect all aspects of a child’s life, including their grades.
From Safe Horizon. Moving victims of violence from crisis to confidence.
Myths About Sexual Child Abuse
Myth #1 - Boys and men can't be victims.
This myth, instilled through masculine gender socialization and sometimes
referred to as the "macho image," declares that males, even young
boys, are not supposed to be victims or even vulnerable. We learn very early
that males should be able to protect themselves. In truth, boys are children
- weaker and more vulnerable than their perpetrators - who cannot really
fight back. Why? The perpetrator has greater size, strength, and knowledge.
This power is exercised from a position of authority, using resources such
as money or other bribes, or outright threats - whatever advantage can be
taken to use a child for sexual purposes.
Myth #2 - Most sexual abuse of boys is perpetrated by homosexual
males.
Pedophiles who molest boys are not expressing a homosexual orientation any
more than pedophiles who molest girls are practicing heterosexual behaviors.
While many child molesters have gender and/or age preferences, of those
who seek out boys, the vast majority are not homosexual. They are pedophiles.
Myth #3 - If a boy experiences sexual arousal or orgasm from
abuse, this means he was a willing participant or enjoyed it.
In reality, males can respond physically to stimulation (get an erection)
even in traumatic or painful sexual situations. Therapists who work with
sexual offenders know that one way a perpetrator can maintain secrecy is
to label the child's sexual response as an indication of his willingness
to participate. "You liked it, you wanted it," they'll say.
Many survivors feel guilt and shame because they experienced physical arousal
while being abused. Physical (and visual or auditory) stimulation is likely
to happen in a sexual situation. It does not mean that the child wanted
the experience or understood what it meant at the time.
Myth #4 - Boys are less traumatized by the abuse experience
than girls.
While some studies have found males to be less negatively affected, more
studies show that long term effects are quite damaging for either sex. Males
may be more damaged by society's refusal or reluctance to accept their
victimization, and by their resultant belief that they must "tough
it out" in silence.
Myth #5 - Boys abused by males are or will become homosexual.
While there are different theories about how the sexual orientation develops,
experts in the human sexuality field do not believe that premature sexual
experiences play a significant role in late adolescent or adult sexual orientation.
It is unlikely that someone can make another person a homosexual or heterosexual.
Sexual orientation is a complex issue and there is no single answer or theory
that explains why someone identifies himself as homosexual, heterosexual
or bi-sexual. Whether perpetrated by older males or females, boys' or
girls' premature sexual experiences are damaging in many ways, including
confusion about one's sexual identity and orientation. Many boys who
have been abused by males erroneously believe that something about them
sexually attracts males, and that this may mean they are homosexual or effeminate.
Again, not true. Pedophiles who are attracted to boys will admit that the
lack of body hair and adult sexual features turns them on. The pedophile's
inability to develop and maintain a healthy adult sexual relationship is
the problem - not the physical features of a sexually immature boy.
Myth #6 - The "Vampire Syndrome" that is, boys who
are sexually abused, like the victims of Count Dracula, go on to "bite"
or sexually abuse others.
This myth is especially dangerous because it can create a terrible stigma
for the child, that he is destined to become an offender. Boys might be
treated as potential perpetrators rather than victims who need help. While
it is true that most perpetrators have histories of sexual abuse, it is
NOT true that most victims go on to become perpetrators. Research by Jane
Gilgun, Judith Becker and John Hunter found a primary difference between
perpetrators who were sexually abused and sexually abused males who never
perpetrated: non-perpetrators told about the abuse, and were believed and
supported by significant people in their lives. Again, the majority of victims
do not go on to become adolescent or adult perpetrators; and those who do
perpetrate in adolescence usually don't perpetrate as adults if they
get help when they are young.
On the flip side of this myth is the fact that many pedophiles will claim
in court that they were abused in order to gain sympathy. Over 80% recant
those statements once they get to prison. This produces the stigma that
perhaps every boy who is sexually abused turns into a perpetrator. Abused
boys do not turn into perpetrators anymore than abused women do. As with
any other forms of abuse, we have a choice on breaking the cycle.
Myth #7 - If the perpetrator is female, the boy or adolescent
should consider himself fortunate to have been initiated into heterosexual
activity.
In reality, premature or coerced sex, whether by a mother, aunt, older sister,
baby-sitter or other female in a position of power over a boy, causes confusion
at best, and rage, depression or other problems in more negative circumstances.
To be used as a sexual object by a more powerful person, male or female,
is always abusive and often damaging.
Believing these myths is dangerous and damaging. So long as society believes
these myths, and teaches them to children from their earliest years, sexually
abused males will be unlikely to get the recognition and help they need.
So long as society believes these myths, sexually abused males will be more
likely to join the minority of survivors who perpetuate this suffering by
abusing others. So long as boys or men who have been sexually abused believe
these myths, they will feel ashamed and angry. And so long as sexually abused
males believe these myths they reinforce the power of another devastating
myth that all abused children struggle with: that it was their fault. It
is never the fault of the child in a sexual situation - though perpetrators
can be quite skilled at getting their victims to believe these myths and
take on responsibility that is always and only their own.
For any male who has been sexually abused, becoming free of these myths
is an essential part of the recovery process.