Sexual Abuse in Children - Essay Example

Child Sexual Abuse Sexual abuse in children or child sex abuse has become one of the most crucial social issues across the globe, especially in the United States. According to research work that covered studies from 22 countries and published in Clinical Psychology Review, the worldwide prevalence of sexual abuse in children is 19.7% for females and 7.9% for males (Cashman). A previous study indicated that in North America, nearly 15-25% women and 5-15% men were sexually exploited when they were children (“PTSD: National Center for PTSD”). Reports also reflect that most of the child abuse cases are reported against men. This paper will critically evaluate the multiple facets of the issue in detail. Child sexual abuse or child molestation can be simply referred to a form of child abuse where a child is used by an adult for sexual stimulation. As stated in MedicinePlus, forms of child molestation may include compelling a child to engage in sexual activities, indecent sexual exposure to children, or using a child for the purpose of producing child pornography (“Child sexual abuse”). Child sexual abuse may happen in home, school, or workplace where child labor is common. UNICEF considers child marriage as the main form of child sexual abuse, and according to the organization, female children are extremely vulnerable to this form of sexual abuse. The exact causes of child molestation are yet to be identified. Referring to the theory of ‘cycle of violence’, the offender’s experience of a sexual abuse in his/her childhood is thought to be a major cause leading to child molestations. However, many studies deny this casual relationship because those studies identified that most of the child sexual offenders did not have a childhood experience of sexual abuse. Results of such studies are still debatable as each study varies in terms of the methodology used and percentage estimates. Undoubtedly, today visual media such as internet and television channels play a significant role in spreading implicit as well as explicit sexual contents, which in turn notably contribute to child molestations. Although child pornography is strictly prohibited in the United States, such video clips are still secretly available in many parts of the country. In addition, child sex stories are posted and shared in porn websites and they play an inevitable role in misleading the sexual notions of people. Finally, situational pressures also contribute to child sex abuse. For instance, alcohol can stimulate sexual feelings of individuals and hence an intoxicated person is likely to abuse even his/her own child. It is really difficult to prove sexual abuse in children mainly because children often do not understand that they were sexually abused. It is a pitiable situation that even high school students are unaware of adults’ unwanted interests in them. Despite increasing sex educational programs in United States, the number of children sexually exploited is still growing in the country. In some cases, children abused are under the age of 5, and therefore they cannot even tell the issue to others. Offenders are often parents or close relatives of the victim, and therefore most of the abuse incidents go unreported in such cases. When a child reports sexual abuse, proper action must be taken in the best interests of the future of the child. Under any circumstance, a child abuse report should not be ignored because such a practice may lead to dangerous situations in future. It is recommendable for parents to consult child psychologists as soon as their child reports the case of an abuse because the incident might affect the child mentally. It is particularly important to note that the victim should not be blamed for what happened to him/her because such an attitude from parents/relatives would affect the child drastically. In contrast, the victim should be treated compassionately so that he/she may feel secure. Referring to reports, child sexual offenders are possibly relatives or other close acquaintances of the victim rather than strangers. It is clear that relatives and acquaintances often get the opportunity to be with the child, and this situation increases the risk of child abuse. Similarly, males are more likely to be child sex offenders than females although some studies claim the opposite. It is also identified that offenders may be sometimes teachers too. It is horrific to see that in some cases even parent abuses his/her own child sexually, and such victims are most likely to have a worse future. Child Welfare Information Gateway is the governmental agency operating under the U.S Department of Health & Human Services to deal with child sexual abuses (Child Welfare Information Gateway). The organization gives proper guidelines to parents to handle the situation in case their child reports an abuse. In addition, there are numerous governmental and non-governmental organizations operating towards the objective of preventing child abuse in United States. Support For Abused Kids, The Amala Foundation, Prevent Child Abuse America are some of the examples of those organizations. Those agencies maintain a well trained workforce to respond immediately to child abuse cases and prevent the situations of child mistreatment. There are many non-profit organizations also that operate in this field. In order to manage the situation of child molestations, it is essential for parents to understand the signs and symptoms of sexual abuse. Children abused are likely to act in ‘inappropriate sexual way with toys’ or other objects; nightmares and sleeping problems also constitute a major sign of child sexual abuse (“Child Sexual Abuse Warning signs”). In addition, as the website parentsprotect points out, those children may become withdrawn, very clingy, or unusually secretive and they are also prone to sudden unexplained personality changes and mood fluctuations. Outburst of anger, eating habit changes, bedwetting, unjustified money or gifts, self mutilation in adolescents, and unaccountable fear of people or places can be also the signs of child molestations (“Child Sexual Abuse Warning signs”). However, it is to be noted that these signs and symptoms may not always indicate child molestation. From the above discussion, it is clear that child sexual abuse is growing to be a dreadful issue in the United States despite the awareness programs and prevention agencies. Parents, close relatives, or acquaintances may be the offenders in most of the cases of child abuse. The victim should not be blamed for the abuse under any circumstance as such a practice may lead to dreadful consequences. Parents must take special care of their child who was a victim to child abuse in order to bring him/her back to normal life. It is also recommendable for parents to seek the help of organizations that are engaged in fighting child abuse in the country. Works Cited “Child Sexual Abuse Warning signs”. Parents Protect.co.uk. n.d. Web. 11 Feb. 2014. Cashman, Greer Fay. “Peres aghast at extent of child abuse in Israel”. The Jerusalem Post, Dec 29, 2013. Web 11 Feb 2014. “Child sexual abuse”. nlm.nih.gov. Medicineplus, n.d. web 11 Feb. 2014. “PTSD: National Center for PTSD”. va.gov. US Department of Veterans Affairs, n.d. web. 11 Feb. 2014. “Reporting Child Abuse and Neglect”. Child Welfare Information Gateway. US Department of Health and Human Services, n.d. 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