Sexual Assault of Children

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Introduction Sexual assault of children by adults is an epidemic that has reached significant proportion. According to Raymond Webster PhD, child sexual abuse “is typically defined as involving either actual physical or nonphysical contact experiences between a child and an adult in which the child is subjected to sexually based exploitation, humiliation, or degradation (Webster, 2004). “The sexual abuse and exploitation of children is one of the most vicious crimes conceivable, a violation of mankind’s most basic duty to protect the innocent, James T. Walsh (2011).” As parents and caregivers it is our most valuable role to always remain proactive when protecting our children’s virtue and purity. This type of harm, inflicted upon a young child, can leave a lasting negative impact on the victim often into their adulthood. When parents are notified of the abuse they should be very sensitive, caring, loving and empathetic towards the child; this will help to minimize self-doubt and devastating psychological effects on the child. “Interviews were conducted with child abuse victims and their victims and their parents, and found that 48% of the children first reported the abuse to their mothers. Only 3% of this sample indicated that making this disclosure to their mother had been a negative experience. These findings suggest that involvement of the mother in the overall therapeutic process is quite important, provided that the mother is the non-abusing parent (Webster, 2011).” Oddly, in most cases, the victims of sexual abuse knew the perpetrator in some way; this will increase their vulnerability and raises the risk of future sexual revictimization. Furthermore, it increases the risk that the abused will become the abuser when the... ... middle of paper ... ...ung adult males. Child Abuse &Neglect, 18(8), 683-697. http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/j/jamestwal351349.html Retrieved on December 7, 2011 American Psychiatric Association. (2000). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (Rev. 4th ed.). Washington, DC: Author. xxxx http://www.georgia.gov/vgn/images/portal/cit_1210/23/30/1565850292010%20Georgia%20F %20and%20Sexual%20Assault%20Statistics%20Report.pdf Retrieved on December 11, 2011 http://www.pewcenteronthestates.org/uploadedFiles/Pew_State_of_Recidivism.pdf Retrieved on December 11, 2011 http://bjs.ojp.usdoj.gov/index.cfm?ty=pbdetail&iid=1136 Retrieved on December 11, 2011 Dr. Lainey Richardson Lecture Notes PowerPoint Presentation Retrieved on December 10, 2011 http://academicdepartments.musc.edu/ncvc/resources_prof/OVC_guidelines04-26-04.pdf Retrieved on December 11, 2011

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