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Myths About Child Abuse
By admin | December 2, 2007
When a child is sexually abused, its family members, neighbors and other so-called-experts try to give their advice to the abused child and their family members. Although they try to help, their advice might be nothing but a myth and can actually hurt the child and people who surround that little one.
Here are most common myths and what you should do about it.
Myth 1: Children have big imagination and everything they say cannot be true. This particularly means they make up stories about sexual abuse.
The truth: Although kids do have wild imagination, stories about sexual abuse are not part of it. Sexual behavior is unknown to children, and there is no way they know something about it unless they experienced some kind of sexual abuse. It is proved that, after investigation, most sexual reports are true.
Myth 2: Child abusers are mostly unknown to their victims.
The truth: Most abusers know their victims and children trust them.
Myth 3: Child abusers look dangerous, cruel and different.
The truth: Child abusers come from different social parts and families, and they look like everyone else. They can be known as great parents, grandparents, cousins who always give chocolate, nurturing mothers, fun babysitters, social workers, religious workers, neighbors…
Myth 4: Acts that involve cuttling, french kiss or touching intimate parts are not actually considered to be sexual abuse. They don’t hurt the child – they help it get more mature and grow up.
The truth: Any type of inappropriate sexual touch, direct or indirect, of adult person ( sometimes even older brothers or sisters ) and a child is a sexual abuse.
Myth 5: If a boy has erection or a girl isn’t complaining during the sexual act, then it isn’t considered to be a sexual abuse.
The truth: Physical reaction of a child are way of healthy biological functions. They are never to be signs that show a child is enjoying this cruel act. Sexual assault and abuse has to be punished and sexual abusers have to be put in jail. It very important to state that abused child doesn’t understand a sexual act.
Myth 6: A child who provokes sexual abuse is also responsible for it.
The truth: A child is never responsible for any sexual act that was made by adult in child’s presence. Adults are 100% responsible for every act they commit.
Myth 7: Sexually abused children are damaged for the rest of their life and there is nothing that can be done to avoid that.
The truth: Many children who were sexually abused find a way to cope with their past and horrible experience. They can lead a healthy and normal life, just like anyone else. But, they do need help to realize that what happened to them wasn’t their fault. Most of these sexual abuses don’t leave a physical mark, so if the child doesn’t want to report it, there is a great possibility nobody would ever find out what happened.
Myth 8: Children who were abused by people who were same sex as them, become homosexuals.
The truth: Sex of sexual abuser has nothing to do with child’s later sexual orientation.
Myth 9: If you report your wife/husband who is sexually abusing your child, you’re risking not seeing your little one again.
The truth: Police will not take your child away, but the abuser. Reporting the abuser is the only right thing you can do to protect your child and yourself. Not talking about the sexual abuse and not reporting it makes it worse.
Myth 10: Sexually abused children come from families who don’t take good care of them.
The truth: Sexual predators have their own tactics they use to get in contact with their victims. Man of them are the experts in manipulating with their victims and their parents.
Myth 11: The abused child will eventually become the abuser.
The truth: Although many abusers have been abused themselves when they were younger, nobody can state this with certainity. Abused children need help understanding what happened to them. Great number of abused victims never become abusers.
Topics: Child Psychology, Parenting | No Comments »
