silentlambs
www.silentlambs.org
877-WTABUSE
The
Silent Problem
Children
become silentlambs when they do not tell anyone about sexual abuse because they:
- are too young to put what has happened
into words
- were threatened or bribed by the abuser
to keep the abuse a secret
- feel confused by the attention and
feelings accompanying the abuse
- are afraid no one will believe them
- blame themselves or believe the abuse
is punishment for being "bad"
- feel too ashamed or embarrassed to
tell
- worry about getting into trouble or
getting a loved one into trouble
Silence
enables sexual abuse to continue. Silence protects sexual offenders and hurts
children who are being abused. Sexual abuse is an extremely difficult and
damaging experience. Today, there are many resources to help victims and their
families. Children no longer need to suffer as silentlambs.
Signs
of Sexual Abuse
Because
most children cannot or do not tell about being sexually abused, it is up to
concerned adults to recognize signs of abuse. Physical evidence of abuse is
rare. Therefore, we must look for behavior signs. Unfortunately, there is no
one behavior alone that definitely determines a child has been sexually abused.
The
following are general behavior changes that may occur in children who have been
sexually abused:
- Physical complaints
- Fear or dislike of certain people
or places
- Sleep disturbances
- Headaches
- School problems
- Withdrawal from family, friends, or
usual activities
- Excessive bathing or poor hygiene
- Return to younger, more babyish behavior
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Discipline problems
- Running away
- Eating disorders
- Passive or overly pleasing behavior
- Delinquent acts
- Low self-esteem
- Self-destructive behavior
- Hostility or aggression
- Drug or alcohol problems
- Suicide attempts
Specific
Symptoms
Children
who have been sexually abused frequently have specific symptoms:
- Copying adult sexual behavior
- Persistent sexual play with other
children, themselves, toys or pets
- Displaying sexual knowledge, through
language or behavior, that is beyond what is normal for their age
- Unexplained pain, swelling, bleeding
or irritation of the mouth, genital or anal area; urinary infections; sexually
transmitted diseases
- Hints, indirect comments or statements
about the abuse