NCJ Number
94668
Date Published
Unknown
Length
7 pages
Annotation
Popular misconceptions about sexually abused children, symptoms of a sexually abused child, how to care for such a child, and procedures for reporting and taking to trial cases of childhood sexual abuse are discussed.
Abstract
Most cases of child sexual abuse involve people known by the child. Children are seldom physically harmed. The level of famly income or education is no indicator of the likelihood of a case of child sexual abuse. Very few such cases are reported. Certain symptoms that warant further investigation include physical evidence, certain behavior patterns, or the unwillingness of parents to cooperate. A care provider must attend to a child victim's physical and emotional needs. The immediate psychological goal is to calm and protect the victim from further emotional trauma. Unwarranted and repeated interrogation causes unnecessary trauma. While it is desirable to convict the culprit, the potential cost to the child's needs and feelings must be considered. Victim's parents need to be advised to avoid showing anger, horror, embarrassment, or panic. If the attack was not violent, the child may not view the incident as unusual. It is the adults who transmit the trauma by showing their emotional reaction to the incident. When the child interacts with the criminal justice system, care must be shown to avoid further upsetting the child. Three references are listed.