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| Parents’ Actions During Sexual Abuse |  You have to take seriously everything your child says about sexual abuse. Lots of teens who report sexual abuse are not believed. You have to understand that if a child’s plea for help is ignored, he or she may not risk telling again. As a result, your teen could remain a victim of abuse for months of years.
In case of sexual abuse you have to listen to your teen’s explanation for its disclosing. There are two most important things you have to do: the first one is to listen to your teen, the second one is to help your teen to understand that that the abuse is not his or her fault. During this period your teen has to feel your love, support and reassurance. It is very important in case you are angry to assure your child that you are not angry with him or her. Let your teen know how brave he was to tell you and that you understand how frightened and scared he feels. This is very important if the teen has been abused by a close relative or family friend. In case of teen sexual abuse you have to get help. See your teen’s pediatrician, a counselor, a police officer, or a teacher.
If the abuser is a family member or close friend parents often try to solve the problem themselves. Nevertheless, when you try to stop sexual abuse yourself, you will almost always be unsuccessful. In order to solve the problem you have to follow such tips:
- Face the issue.
- Take a control on the situation.
- You have to control the problem in order to avoid future abuse.
- Consider the problem with your teen’s pediatrician. He or she can provide support and counseling.
- You have to report abuse to your local child protection service agency and ask about crisis support help.
It is very hard for the teen to talk about sexual abuse. As a rule, abusers try to threaten teen or order not to tell anybody. It can also be very hard for adults to talk about it if the abuser is a close friend or family member. Nevertheless, it is in the best interests of the teen to report about sexual abuse.
After reporting of abuse the police or a social service agency begin to investigate this case. The police or a social worker together with a doctor will decide whether sexual abuse took place. It often happens that the police let social services handle the case. This may occur if the teen shows no physical injury and the abuser is a family member. If a teen is abused by a stranger, the case is usually handled by the police.
Further measures may be different; they depend upon circumstances of the case. The offender and the entire family may be required to attend a treatment program. Sometimes it happens that the offender has to face criminal charges. In case the teen’s safety is in question, authorities make take the offender out of the home while the problem is investigated. In any event, the teen and family will need lots of support from friends and relatives.
You have to stay alert to this problem and teach your children what sexual abuse is. Learn them to say “no” or “stop” to adults who may threaten them sexually. Assure them that it is okay to tell you about any attempt to molest them – and it doesn’t matter who the offender is. Let them know that they can trust you and you will not be angry with them if they tell you.
Stay alert to this problem and teach your children what sexual abuse is. Tell them they can and should say "no" or "stop" to adults who may threaten them sexually. Make sure they know that it's okay to tell you about any attempt to molest them--no matter who the offender may be. Let them know they can trust you and that you will not be angry with them if they tell you.
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