The Unknown Predator: “Child Sexual Abuse”
Denise Parnell
Professor: Lisa Smoot
Sociology
January 29, 2012

Child Sexual Abuse
Abstract:
Child sexual abuse encompasses a wide, variety of abuses acts or experiences involving children private body parts. Sexual abuse is question when a child disclosure of intrafamily child abuse is complex.
Child sexual abuse is more than bruises and broken bones. Physical abuse might be the most visible sign, other types of abuse such as sexual abuse, emotional abuse or child neglect, also leave deep long lasting scars. Child sexual abuse happens in situations where the child trusts or is dependent on the offender. People who sexually abuse children do so in order to meet their own needs. Some forms of sexual abuse involve physical contact. These include masturbation, intercourse, fondling, oral sex, and anal or vaginal penetration with objects. Other types of sexual abuse, such as exhibitionism, leering, and sexual suggestiveness, do not involve physical contact. Most children are too young and are unable to consent. Most children are abused by someone they know and trust. Abusers need not be strangers. They can be anyone in a position of power or trust: fathers, uncles, cousins, stepfathers, siblings, mothers, teachers, babysitters, neighbors, grandparents, peers, clergy, or doctors. And contrary to thinking family structure does play a part in abuse. That is, not all types of family structure are the same, and some are more likely to result in child abuse than others. The ideal family is a source of pleasure and support. However the disturbing reality of many homes is family violence, emotional, physical, or sexual abuse of one family member by another. The “family member” may not be a blood relative, but could be someone who is considered “part of the family” such as a godparent or close friend. This type of abuse is Intrafamilial Sexual Abuse. Intrafamilial sexual abuse means sexual abuse that occurs within the family. In this form of abuse a family member involves a child in sexual behaviors or activites. When children are abused by adults who are supposed to protect them from their ability to trust and relay on adults may be shattered. Knowing that the abuser is liked- or even loved- by other family members makes it all the more difficult for children to tell others about the abuse. Children who have been abused by a family member are more likely to blame themselves for the abuse than those who are abused by someone outside the family unit. Abusers often scare children by threatening to retaliate or by insinuating that the child will not be believed. The abuser may also confuse the child by implying that the abuse is the child’s fault. Comments such as &quotYou asked for it,”&quotYou were all over me,” and &quotI know you enjoyed it” are often used to blame and to silence the child. Sexual abuse of a child can never be the child’s fault. It is clearly indicated that children are at great risk of child abuse when not living in natural two – parent families, but in other family structures, such as blended families, single-parent families, and step-families. It has been found that children in single-parent households are especially vulnerable to abuse, sexual abuse of girls often at the hands of the mother’s boyfriend in families where the adult male was not the natural father. Sexual abuse of a child by a trusted adult also puts tremendous strain on relationships within the family. Some family members may find it hard to believe the abuser could do such a thing, and takes sides over who is telling the truth. Even in families that accept that the abuse occurred, reactions to the abuser may run gamut from “lock him up and throw away the key” to hate the sin but love the sinner. Child sexual abuse is violation of law, but child sexual abuse is also a violation of our mores because we view such behavior as immoral. Most definitions tend to ignore the social and cultural context of any given episode of sexual abuse. But without taking into account the context, it is very difficult for individuals, communities, or system to truly define, much less respond appropriately to, the sexual abuse of children. It is apparent that the media conceptualization of children and young people, and media reporting on both physical discipline of children and child abuse, is significant in reflecting and defining society’s perceptions of children and young people (Franklin and Horwath 1996), what is and what not acceptable behavior towards children is. The media must not merely focus on the issue of child abuse, but must also draw attention to the perceptions and the status of children and young people in society. Child sexual abuse affects people from a wide variety of backgrounds. Children of all ages, races, ethnicities, cultures, class, gender, sexuality and economic backgrounds are vulnerable to sexual abuse. There is no one kind of community where child sexual abuse happens, no one type of person it happens to. Child sexual abuse occurs in rural, urban, and suburban areas, affects both boys and girls, and occurs in all kinds of neighborhoods and communities. While victims and offenders are obviously most directly affected, families and communities in which child sexual abuse happens are also deeply impacted when there is no adequate response to the issue. Although child sexual abuse is talked about a great deal more than it was fifteen years ago. Americans gradually came to recognize that sexual abuse of children was much more common than previously realized. The social perception of child abuse and neglect has changed a great deal over time. What used to be considered acceptable behavior is no longer legally or socially permissible? Many people still would like to believe that this problem does not exist in our society. Even though more and more child victims and adults are coming forward, a large number of these victims still never report these crimes to the police. As time has progressed child abuse has grown to receive more attention and is beginning to be recognized as a severe and extremely detrimental epidemic. The ideal response to child sexual abuse would be primary prevention strategies aimed at eliminating, or at least reducing, the sexual abuse of children (Tomison, 1995). The discovery that someone you love and trust has sexually abused your child is extremely stressful and can bring up intense feelings of shock, rage, confusion, denial, disbelief, and guilt. Dealing with these reactions-and helping your child recover from the abuse-requires time, strength, and support from your extended family, your community, and from professionals in law enforcement, child protection, and mental health services. By ending the secrecy surrounding sexual abuse, you can help your family to heal and protect and nurture your child. There are a variety of approaches to the problem of child sexual abuse. One effective strategy is one that responds to the who, what, where, when, how and why of the situation. Only then can we make the best possible use of the skills, resources, and support available to resolve the problem. A Public Health approach situates child sexual abuse in its larger context of individual, family and community health. Public Health emphasizes the value of primary prevention in ending the “epidemic” of violence and supporting families in health. Some public health approaches have adopted outreach and services for offenders as a primary prevention strategy. Communities can help families to prevent violence and seek effective support by creating public discussions that counter the assumption that “family business” should remain “family business”. Various organizations throughout the nation have created educational programs and fundraisers in order to help raise awareness about child abuse, as well as to help prevent child abuse. States throughout the country have developed various methods of raising awareness for the millions of children around the globe are subjected to physical abuse, sexual abuse, psychological abuse and neglect every year.

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