Facts
1 in 3 Girls…
are sexually abused before the age of 18.
1 in 5 Boys…
are sexually abused before the age of 18.
1 in 5 Children…
are solicited sexually while on the internet before the age of 18.
Children are 3x…
more likely to be identified as a victim of sexual child abuse from low socioeconomic status households.
Child Sexual Abuse Increases…
the chance of the child dropping out of school.
95%
of sexual abuse is preventable through education.
Drugs…
are more likely used by people who have been sexually assaulted.
• 4x more likely to use marijuana.
• 6x more likely to use cocaine.
• 10x more likely to use other major drugs.
What is Grooming?
Abusers often form relationships with potential victims and their families prior to the abuse. This is called "grooming."
Grooming is a process by which an offender gradually draws a victim into a sexual relationship and maintains that relationship in secrecy. At the same time, the offender may also fill roles within the victim’s family that make the offender trusted and valued.
Grooming behaviors can include:
1.
Use of secrecy, blame, and threats to maintain control and silence.
2.
Treating the child as if he or she is older ( Inappropriate dialogue, exposure to non age appropriate viewing, listening).
3.
Filling the child’s unmet needs (financial, attention, or parental guidance).
4.
Isolating the child from others (friends, family members, etc).
5.
Special attention, outings, and gifts.
6.
Filling needs and roles within the family.
7.
Gradually crossing physical boundaries, and becoming increasingly intimate/sexual.
Who are the perpetrators of child sexual abuse?
Those who molest children look and act just like everyone else. There are people who have or will sexually abuse children in churches, homes, public parks & playgrounds, schools and youth sports leagues.
About 90% of children who are victims of sexual abuse know their abuser.
Approximately 30% of children who are sexually abused are abused by family members.
Only 10% of sexually abused children are abused by a stranger.
Abusers can be neighbors, friends, and family members. People who sexually abuse children can be found in families, schools, churches, recreation centers, youth sports leagues, and other places children gather.
The younger the victim, the more likely it is that the abuser is a family member. Of those molesting a child under six, 50% were family members. Family members also accounted for 23% of those abusing children ages 12 to 17.
Homosexual individuals are no more likely to sexually abuse children than heterosexual individuals.