Sasian

Indicators of CSA/SSA

"Now I know that I had all the classic signs, yet no adult ever asked me" - incest survivor.

    It can often be very difficult to recognise whether or not a child is being abused, both for parents and for professionals.

    Children frequently find it extremely hard to talk about what is happening to them, especially when they've been told to keep it a secret or have been subjected to coercion, bribery or threats. But it is often far more than this. Incest means that it is the childīs parent or a trusted adult that is abusing them. This is the ultimate betrayal that distorts the childīs trust and view of a healthy, loving relationship. It could also be betrayal by a sibling or other close family member. Therefore the child may only express his or her distress by other behaviours.

    It is important to realise that some of these behaviours may indicate other conditions, such as a physical illness or an emotional or psychological disturbance unrelated to sexual abuse. It should not be assumed that if a child exhibits one or more of the behaviours listed below then the child is definitely being sexually abused. However, some indicators, such as the child actually reporting the occurrence of sexual abuse, can be quite conclusive. Children very rarely lie about sexual abuse. In fact children often underplay the effects of the abuse or change the identity of the perpetrator in an attempt to protect the family, but they have not been found to lie about the occurrence of the abuse itself.

    Anyone who observes these behavioural indicators in a child has an obligation to consider whether or not abuse is occurring and to take action if they believe that it may be.

Behavioural Indicators of Child Sexual Abuse:

    • Behavioural Indicators of Child Sexual Abuse:

        • When a child reports sexual abuse either directly, or indirectly in a disguised way e.g. "I know a girl who..."
        • Persistent and inappropriate sexual play with peers, toys, animals or themselves. e.g. child habitually inserting objects in her vagina or sexually aggressive behaviour with others.
        • Detailed and overly sophisticated understanding of sexual behaviour (especially by young children).
        • Sexual themes in the child's artwork, stories or play.
        • Fear of going home or expressing a desire to live in a foster home or institution.
        • Regressive behaviour e.g. excessive clinginess in pre-school children or the sudden onset of soiling and wetting when these were not formerly a problem.
        • Withdrawal into fantasy worlds. A child may even seem to have an intellectual disability when this is not the case.
        • Sleep disturbances and nightmares.
        • Changes in appetite.
        • Fear states e.g. anxiety, depression, phobias, and obsession.
        • Overly compliant behaviour.
        • Pseudomature behaviour e.g. acting like a parent or spouse.
        • Delinquent or aggressive behaviour.
        • Arriving late at school or leaving early.
        • Poor or deteriorating relationships with peers.
        • Inability to concentrate in school and/or sudden deterioration in school performance.
        • Non-participation in school and social activities.
        • Unwillingness to participate in physical/recreational activities, especially if there is physical contact.
        • Truancy/running away from home.
        • Excessively seductive behaviour and/or sexual activity. This is an effect of the sexual abuse not a cause.
        • Drug/alcohol abuse.
        • Prostitution. There is a strong correlation between child sexual abuse and teenage prostitution.
        • Self-mutilation.
        • Suicidal feelings and suicide attempts.
        • Fear of adults of the same sex as the abuser.
        • Unexplained accumulation of money or gifts.

        Behavioural Indicators of Sibling Sexual Abuse - Any of the above plus:

        • Siblings who behave like boyfriend and girlfriend.
        • A child who fears being left alone with a sibling.
        • Siblings who appear embarrassed when found alone together.
        • One sibling antagonising the other but the other not retaliating (for fear of exposing the secret).

        Physical Indicators of Child Sexual Abuse:

        Some sexually abused children also come to attention because of physical indicators:

        • Bruises, bleeding or other physical trauma in the genital or rectal area. There may be pain or problems with urination/defecation or blood-stained and/or torn underwear. This physical discomfort may cause the child to limp, perform poorly at sport, drop out of strenuous play activities or perhaps even have difficulty in sitting still.
        • Foreign bodies in genital, rectal or urethral openings.
        • Abnormal dilation of the urethral, vaginal or rectal openings.
        • Itching, inflammation or infection of urethral, vaginal or rectal openings.
        • Presence of semen.
        • Trauma to breasts, buttocks, lower abdomen or thighs.
        • Unusual odours from the vaginal area.
        • Sexually transmitted diseases.
        • Pregnancy, especially when the child refuses to reveal any information about the father of the baby and/or complete denial of the pregnancy by the child and/or her family.
        • Psychosomatic illness e.g. abdominal pain, nightmares.

        The Department of Human Services Protection and Care Publications Unit, Victoria.

        This information has been reproduced with the kind permission of the Department of Human Services Victoria.
        Many of the DHS booklets on this site are no longer available in printed format, but all inquiries should be directed to the Protection and Care Publishing Unit, Department of Human Services Melbourne (03) 9616 7013

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