Sexual abuse: know the facts

Ramsey Sullivan
ECB Publishing, Inc.

By the time you finish reading this article, at least two Americans will have been sexually assaulted; every 73 seconds, an American is sexually assaulted. Every nine minutes, child protective services substantiates, or finds evidence for, a claim of child sexual abuse.

On average, there are 433,648 victims of rape and sexual assault each year in the United States, according to rainn.org. Americans between the ages of 12 and 34 account for more than 69 percent of sexual assault victims, and of all victims under 18, two out of every three are between the ages of 12 and 17. Eighty-two percent of all victims under 18 are female. This means that if you have a daughter, or know a girl between the ages of 12 and 17, she is at a greater risk than anyone else to be sexually assaulted.

Just because girls are more likely to be sexually assaulted does not mean that boys are excluded from this. One in 53 boys under the age of 18 experience sexual abuse or assault at the hands of an adult.
One of the most startling statistics pertaining to child sexual abuse is the amount of children who stay silent about their abuse. Seventy-five percent of child victims of sexual abuse do not disclose information within a year of their abuse. Forty-five percent keep their abuse a secret for at least five years. Many stay silent about their abuse for decades, and some never tell anyone, according to laurenskids.org.

When a child is sexually assaulted, the effects can be long-lasting and the victim’s mental health can be at stake. Sexual assault victims are four times more likely to develop symptoms of drug abuse, four times more likely to experience PTSD as an adult and three times more likely to experience a major depressive episode as an adult.

Sexual predators are not always mean men in scary ski masks. In fact, more often than not, the child victim knows their abuser. Fifty-nine percent of perpetrators are acquaintances, and 34 percent are family members. Eighty-eight percent of abusers are men, while nine percent are female and three percent are unknown.

So what can we, as mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, grandparents or just Americans, do to prevent this from happening to our friends and family members? The predators that walk among us can be anyone: men or women, black or white, young or old, rich or poor. However, 95 percent of sexual abuse is preventable through education and awareness.

Lauren’s Kids, a nonprofit organization that aims to educate adults and children about sexual abuse prevention, spreads awareness about sexual abuse through in-school curriculum, resources for families and speaking engagements around the country. Lauren leads the organization’s yearly statewide awareness walk, “Walk in My Shoes,” across the state of Florida. The walk begins in Key West, and ends in Tallahassee, Fla., which is about 1,500 miles. They then walk for 42 hours, nonstop, to honor the 42 million survivors of child sexual abuse living in the U.S. today.

According to laurenskids.org, the most effective way to prevent child sexual abuse is by understanding what it is and how it takes place. Knowing the tactics of the perpetrator and signs from children that they may be a victim are key to stopping sexual abuse before it starts.

One of the most important aspects of handling child sexual abuse is how an adult responds when a child discloses this information to them. Although this can be a moment of anger or sadness, resisting the urge to react strongly or display anger towards the abuser is important to the healing process of the child. Saying things like: “I believe you,” “I’m really glad that you told me,” It’s not your fault,” or “We will work together to get you help,” can be good alternative options for responding to the child.

Adults who find out about child sexual abuse are morally, and sometimes legally, obligated to make a report. If you suspect that a child is a victim of sexual abuse and is in immediate danger, call 911. In other cases, make a report by calling (800)-422-4453.