Educational Resources

Statistics: 

• 1 in 10 children will be sexually abused by their 18th birthday.
• Child sexual abuse occurs in every community and across all ethnic, socioeconomic, and religious backgrounds (Matthews & Collin-Vezina, 20019)
•  Lesbian, gay, and bisexual youth are almost 4 times as likely to report child sexual abuse than heterosexual youth (Friedman et al,2011). LGBTQ+ youth face unique challenges that place them at greater risk. They are more vulnerable to bullying and harassment, leading to feeling isolated, unsafe, and depressed. 
• 90% of children who are victims of sexual abuse know their abuser (Finkelhor & Shuttuck, 2012)
• 30% of children are abused by immediate or extended family (Finkelhor & Shuttuck, 2012)
• Only 10% of children are sexually abuse by a stranger (FInkelhor & Shuttuck, 2012)
• Grooming and manipulation is a deliberate process by which offenders gradually groom or manipulate a child by setting up opportunuties for abuse through gradual boundary violation and by gaining trust of the child and those closest to them before sexual abuse occurs. 

What are protective factors that can help prevent or mitigate the effects of child sexual abuse?

• Feeling comfortable discussing emotions and feelings with family,
• Having a supportive family through difficult times,
• Enjoyment in participating in community activities and traditions,
• Feeling a sense of belonging at school,
• Having supportive friends,
• Having a safe adult who has a genuine interest in them,
• Feeling safe and protected by an adult in their home (Bethel et al,2019)

Understand why children are afraid to tell:

• The abuser shames the child, points out the child let it happen, or tells the child that his or her parents will be angry
• The abuse is often manipulative, and may try to confuse the child about what is right and wrong, or tell that the abuse is a "game"
• The abuser sometimes threatens to harm the child or a family member
• Some children who do not initially disclose abuse are ashamed to tell when it happens again
• Children are afraid of disappointing their parents and disrupting the family
• Children often love the abuser, and dont want to get anyone in trouble or end the relationship
• Some children are too young to understand