Every time you watch news related to child sexual abuse on TV or read such incidents in newspapers, you feel devastated. You get upset, worry about the crazy times you live in and even shed tears thinking about the plight of victims, especially if you have a child at home. You may be taking the measures to protect your children from sexual abuse by talking to them and asking them to stay away from strangers. But even the most educated Indian parents harbor certain myths about child sexual abuse that can come in the way of safeguarding children against abuse. In this article we are busting top 10 myths and misconceptions parents have about child sexual abuse.
Myth 1: Sexual abuse is committed by people who are total strangers to my child. If …show more content…
Children find it extremely difficult to disclose instances of sexual abuse to their parents or other adults. Abusers may make your child believe that she caused them to act inappropriately and convince her that she is the one to be blamed for what happened. Consequently, your child develops a sense of guilt and shame, making it difficult for her to figure out who is responsible for the abuse. It can also happen that a sexual offender emotionally victimizes or threatens your child to make her fear the consequences if she lets the news out. As a result, she undergoes a complex mixture of emotions including shame, guilt, fear of retribution, fear of being abandoned, embarrassment, confusion etc., and she may decide to keep silent rather than telling you what happened. If your boy child undergoes abuse, he may feel reluctant to disclose the incident because of the social stigma attached to being abused by another male or a female in some cases. The feelings your child undergoes after abuse are difficult to fathom; do not take your child’s silence as a proof of …show more content…
Reports and studies suggest that sexual abuse need not necessarily be a one-time incident. Many-a-time it is a situation that develops gradually and can happen repeatedly.
Myth 9: Sexual abuse in which physical violence is not involved doesn’t do any harm to my child.
This assumption reduces sexual abuse to a mere physical act and glosses over its long-term psychological consequences. Abuse is an act that involves violation of trust and that can cause both physical and emotional trauma in children. Physical injuries will eventually heal; but emotional and psychological wounds will last longer.
Myth 10: Talking about such nasty matters will frighten my child. So I would rather let her live in peace than talking about it.
Of all the myths regarding sexual abuse, this is the most dangerous one. Your child should be aware of sexual abuse, its different forms, the good and the bad touch and what to do if she experiences abuse at the hands of an adult. It is of supreme importance that you educate your child in this matter at an early stage.
Busting such harmful myths and misconceptions about child sexual abuse is the first step towards protecting your children from sexual
Myth 1: Sexual abuse is committed by people who are total strangers to my child. If …show more content…
Children find it extremely difficult to disclose instances of sexual abuse to their parents or other adults. Abusers may make your child believe that she caused them to act inappropriately and convince her that she is the one to be blamed for what happened. Consequently, your child develops a sense of guilt and shame, making it difficult for her to figure out who is responsible for the abuse. It can also happen that a sexual offender emotionally victimizes or threatens your child to make her fear the consequences if she lets the news out. As a result, she undergoes a complex mixture of emotions including shame, guilt, fear of retribution, fear of being abandoned, embarrassment, confusion etc., and she may decide to keep silent rather than telling you what happened. If your boy child undergoes abuse, he may feel reluctant to disclose the incident because of the social stigma attached to being abused by another male or a female in some cases. The feelings your child undergoes after abuse are difficult to fathom; do not take your child’s silence as a proof of …show more content…
Reports and studies suggest that sexual abuse need not necessarily be a one-time incident. Many-a-time it is a situation that develops gradually and can happen repeatedly.
Myth 9: Sexual abuse in which physical violence is not involved doesn’t do any harm to my child.
This assumption reduces sexual abuse to a mere physical act and glosses over its long-term psychological consequences. Abuse is an act that involves violation of trust and that can cause both physical and emotional trauma in children. Physical injuries will eventually heal; but emotional and psychological wounds will last longer.
Myth 10: Talking about such nasty matters will frighten my child. So I would rather let her live in peace than talking about it.
Of all the myths regarding sexual abuse, this is the most dangerous one. Your child should be aware of sexual abuse, its different forms, the good and the bad touch and what to do if she experiences abuse at the hands of an adult. It is of supreme importance that you educate your child in this matter at an early stage.
Busting such harmful myths and misconceptions about child sexual abuse is the first step towards protecting your children from sexual