Stop It Now Campaign
Many people feel that they already hear more than they want to about child sexual abuse. TV, radio and newspapers seem to be full of horrific stories about children who are abused, abducted and even murdered, usually by strangers.
The reality is that the stories that get the most media attention are not typical. So, how useful would this kind of information really be if we suspected that someone we knew well was sexually abusing a child or thinking about doing so?
In a major study recently conducted in the UK, 1 in 6 young adults said that they had been sexually abused before they reached the age of 16.
People who abuse children are often very skilled at building trust with the child and their parents or carers, and abuse may take place for years with no one being aware of it. Because children are rarely able to tell about abuse we, as adults, need to protect them. However, recognising the behaviour of people who sexually abuse children is not easy – either because we do not know what to look for or because our suspicions are so disturbing that we push them out of our minds.
Why do we need to know about child sexual abuse?
It is only in recent years that we have come to appreciate the true scale of the sexual abuse of children. The secrecy surrounding child sexual abuse is evident in the fact that only a quarter of children who are sexually abused tell anyone about it. Of these, most tell a family member or friend. Hardly any come to the attention of police, social services or health professionals.
The thought that someone you know or love may be sexually abusing a child is one of the hardest things to face. But it is better to talk over the situation with someone than to discover later that you were right to be worried.
If you suspect that someone you know is sexually abusing a child, or if you are worried about your own thoughts or behaviour towards children ring the Stop It Now! Freephone Helpline now for confidential advice.
0808 1000 900