ANDREOZZI + FOOTE
CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE PREVENTION & SUPPORT GUIDE
Child sexual abuse is a life-changing, traumatic event that is unfortunately all too common, especially in the digital age. This guide provides information and resources to prevent sexual abuse and help survivors, caregivers, and other parties better understand the issue. Please note that while we strive to approach this topic with compassion and respect, some content may be triggering for survivors of child sexual abuse.
On This Page
What Is Child Sexual Abuse?
Child sexual abuse refers to any sexual activity with a child, whether physical or non-physical. It’s important for parents, caregivers, teachers, and other adults to be aware of the warning signs and symptoms of child sexual abuse to protect children and get them the help they need.
Sexual abuse of children takes many forms, including fondling, oral sex, and vaginal or anal penetration. It can also include non-contact abuse, such as exposing a child to sexual acts or material, forcing a child to engage in sexual behavior, or online sexual abuse. Children can be sexually abused online in several ways, including grooming, extortion, stalking, or exploitation.
Child sexual abuse can have devastating and long-lasting impacts on a child’s physical, emotional, and psychological well-being. It’s critical to educate children in age-appropriate ways about safe, healthy relationships and to take steps to protect them from sexual predators.
Who Is At Risk?
Abuse can happen to any child in any community. However, the following are at the highest risk for sexual abuse:
- Children with disabilities
- Children who have previously experienced abuse
- Children in foster care
- Children who are often unaccompanied or alone
- Children who have parents with addictions,
- Children who have not been informed about the dangers of abuse
The majority of child sexual abuse is perpetrated by someone known to the victim, not strangers. Therefore, it’s important to keep a close eye on your child’s relationships with others, both in person and online.
Recognizing The Warning Signs
Many of the warning signs and symptoms of abuse can also be a part of a child’s natural developmental process, or could be happening for other reasons. Nevertheless, any deviation or regression from your child’s normal behavior should give you pause and concern. Stay observant. If anything seems unusual, engage with your child in age-appropriate ways.
Some children may not exhibit any signs or symptoms at all, making it even more challenging to identify abuse. Having conversations about abuse with your children early and often is vital to give them the space, language, and support to make them feel like they can disclose to you.
Behavioral and Emotional Signs In Children
Physical symptoms:
- Bruising or swelling in the genital or anal area
- Pain, itching or bleeding in the genital or anal area
- Sexually transmitted infections
- Pregnancy, especially in young children
- Difficulty walking or sitting
- Torn, stained, or bloody underclothing
Behavioral symptoms:
- Regression to earlier developmental stages
- Changes in sleep patterns
- Changes in eating habits
- Changes in behavior or mood
- Changes in school and extracurricular performance
- Self-harm, such as cutting or burning
- Substance abuse or addiction
Emotional symptoms:
- Depression or anxiety
- Low self-esteem or feelings of worthlessness
- Anger or aggression
- Shame or guilt
- Fear of certain people, places, or situations
- Difficulty forming relationships or trusting others
Sexualized behavior or knowledge:
- Engaging in sexual play with toys or objects
- Drawings or writings that are sexual
- Sexualized language or behavior toward others
- Knowledge of sexual acts beyond what is appropriate for their age
Avoidance of certain people, places, or situations:
- Refusing to be alone with a specific person
- Refusing to participate in activities they previously enjoyed
- Fear of a specific person or place
What Is Grooming?
Grooming is a pattern of manipulative behavior a perpetrator uses to gain trust and access to a child for the sole purpose of abusing them. Most child abusers are known to the victim.
Groomers begin by selecting victims they have easy access to and those they perceive to be vulnerable or more likely to trust them. They offer the child laughter, gifts, and access to skills or events that the child would not otherwise have access to. They create a bond between themselves and the child that starts very innocently.
The perpetrator will then seek to gain the trust of the child and their parents by taking an interest in the child’s life, athletic ability, education, or other aspects of the child’s life where they can assert their authority and offer their assistance. Once they begin to spend time with the child, the perpetrator works to erode the child’s trust in other adults, including their parents.
Once a strong bond forms, the grooming will begin to move into more of a physical or sexual nature. This process may start with innocent photos or videos of the child, innocent touches, or exposure to sexual topics, photos, and videos. However, these behaviors will slowly escalate. For uninformed young children, it’s hard to discern between right and wrong behavior.
Grooming Behaviors in Adults
The grooming process typically begins with gift-giving, slight boundary-pushing, or keeping secrets. The conduct often occurs in isolated environments, where no one else is around to identify the behavior. Groomers then begin to desensitize children to touch and commit them to secrecy. This behavior can come from even the most trusted adults in a child’s life, including family members, coaches, teachers, and religious leaders.
Prevention Starts At Home
Talking about the signs of grooming and encouraging communities to identify it is key to stopping the process before it leads to significant harm and trauma for a child. Parents should always look out for warning signs and talk to their children about abuse in age-appropriate ways. Teach them about their bodies, consent, and recognizing signs that someone may be attempting to gain their trust for the wrong reasons.
Normalize the discussion so that if the child has questions and encounters grooming, they are more likely to recognize and report it immediately. Additionally, activate the parental controls on all their accessible devices to limit what they can be exposed to and filter out adult sites and spaces online.
How to Physically Protect Your Child
- Teach the concept of body autonomy and private parts using correct terminology.
- Empower children to say “no” and report uncomfortable situations.
- Encourage open communication about feelings and bodies.
- Set clear boundaries and rules about touch, privacy, and digital safety.
How to Emotionally Protect Your Child
- Foster a home environment built on trust, safety, and open dialogue.
- Help the child build self-confidence and decision-making skills.
- Avoid shame-based discipline.
- Use respectful language when discussing bodies.
- Check in regularly about school, friends, and how they feel around others.
Creating A Safe Environment Beyond The Home
Crime needs opportunity. Child sexual abuse takes place in isolation, and any environment where an adult or youth worker has one-on-one time with children puts that child at the greatest risk. When seeking out schools, daycares, or other spaces outside the home for your children, look for environments with a high level of monitoring. Know that you have the right to access information, and ask as many questions as necessary for you to feel comfortable.
Identifying Safe Organizations
Below are some tips for parents and caregivers to look out for when placing their children in the care of an outside organization or institution.
Proper screening
Every youth-serving organization or facility should have clearly outlined screening processes for staff and volunteers, including a full criminal background check and an extensive interviewing process. Programs should deploy the same due diligence in screening for all staff and volunteers.
Ratios
Staff-to-child ratios are another key factor to consider when placing your children. Most child sexual abuse and grooming happens in isolation, so it is vital that the environment where you are placing your child does not allow for one-on-one time between staff or volunteers and the children they are serving. There should be extensive supervision and monitoring in the environment where your children will be–the more staff and volunteers there are, the more eyes and ears there are to ensure nothing inappropriate occurs.
Mandatory reporting policies
Mandatory reporting is a legal requirement that certain professionals must report any suspected or known cases of child abuse or neglect to the appropriate authorities. Mandatory reporters include teachers, doctors, social workers, and other individuals and volunteers who work closely with children. Every youth-serving organization, agency, and school should have mandatory reporting policies.
Staff training
Research the level of training staff and volunteers at the facility receive. Ensure that training is frequent and comprehensive, and ask for proof that staff and volunteers have received it.
Accreditation and certification
Many states offer accreditation and certification for youth-serving facilities and organizations. It is important to know how the place you seek for your children ranks in these areas–are they certified or accredited by the appropriate entities?
Facility quality
If possible, conduct a virtual and physical walk-through of the place you are considering for your children. When looking online, look closely at the site to ensure it is up to date with current staffing information, policies, and procedures. Additionally, look for resources on child safety and reporting abuse.
Open records
Inquire whether the provider you are looking into has ever been sued or found out of compliance with the standards in your jurisdiction. Those records are open and accessible to the public. You can also check your respective state board for a database to determine if that organization has any regulatory infractions. Visit www.childwelfare.gov to find the oversight agency in your state, which will have publicly available information on compliance issues or regulatory findings.
Digital Safety For Children
Online safety has become increasingly important as children become more digitally savvy at a younger age. Children often receive smartphones earlier, engage with social media platforms, and navigate online spaces with increasing independence. Parents and caregivers must stay informed and proactive to protect their children from online threats.
Online Abuse Prevention
To prevent online abuse, teach children about online boundaries and digital consent. Encourage them to use private accounts with strong passwords and never talk to strangers online. Monitor their technology use with transparency, not secrecy. Warn them against sharing photos online, especially private photos, and explain that flattery, secrets, or requests to meet in person are red flags.
What To Do If You Suspect Or Discover Abuse
If you suspect or discover your child is being abused, take these immediate steps to ensure their safety:
- Stay calm, listen non-judgmentally, and believe the child.
- Ensure the child’s immediate safety by removing them from the danger.
- Report the abuse to the appropriate authorities, like CPS or law enforcement.
- Document what transpired without interrogating the child.
- Seek legal assistance.
Supporting A Child After Abuse
- Prioritize emotional safety—avoid blame or pressure.
- Reassure your child that they are loved, believed, and not to blame.
- Use therapeutic tools when appropriate.
- Maintain stability and routine while allowing time to heal.
Supporting Yourself as a Parent or Guardian
- Acknowledge your emotions.
- Seek counseling.
- Learn how to talk about trauma in age-appropriate ways.
Therapeutic Options for Victims of Sexual Abuse
Life after trauma is both confusing and overwhelming, not only for those who have suffered the harm but for families and caregivers. There is a place beyond the intense emotional experience of suffering the abuse. Many different healing modalities and options can be helpful for sexual abuse survivors, and the most effective approach may vary depending on the individual’s needs and preferences.
Talk therapy
Talk therapy, including cognitive-behavioral therapy, dialectical behavioral therapy, and psychodynamic therapy, can help survivors and families work through their trauma and develop coping skills. A therapist who specializes in trauma and has experience working with sexual abuse survivors may be particularly helpful. This therapy is most effective for older youth and adults.
EMDR
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, or EMDR, is a type of therapy that involves focusing on traumatic memories while also engaging in bilateral stimulation, such as eye movements or tapping. EMDR has been shown to be effective in reducing symptoms of PTSD in sexual abuse survivors. EMDR is often used on survivors 6 to 8 years old and older, as they have a better cognitive ability to engage. Older teens and adults benefit greatly from this treatment.
Art therapy
Art therapy can be a helpful way for survivors to express their emotions and explore their experiences in a non-verbal way. This can include activities such as drawing, painting, or sculpting. The therapist may guide the individual in the creative process. However, the focus is on self-expression rather than creating a finished product.
Yoga
Yoga can be a helpful way to manage stress and anxiety and may be particularly effective for survivors who experience physical symptoms because of their trauma. Trauma-informed yoga classes may be a good option, as they are designed to be sensitive to the needs of survivors and guide them through a series of poses that allow for the physical and spiritual release of the trauma stored in the body. These are usually gentle poses held for longer periods.
Movement therapy
Movement therapy is a form of psychotherapy that uses movement and physical expression to promote emotional, social, cognitive, and physical well-being. Movement therapists work with individuals or groups to facilitate self-awareness, emotional regulation, self-expression, and interpersonal connection through movement and body-based practices like dance, yoga, and tai chi.
Group therapy
Group therapy and support groups can provide survivors a sense of community and connection with others who have had similar experiences. This can be especially helpful for reducing feelings of isolation and shame.
Play therapy
Play therapy provides a means of communication and expression for children who may have difficulty expressing themselves verbally. Young children may not have the language skills or cognitive ability to talk about their experiences. Through play, children can explore their feelings and experiences in a developmentally appropriate way for their age and stage of development. Play therapy can help children develop a stronger sense of self-awareness, self-esteem, and self-regulation.
Music therapy
Music therapy is a form of psychotherapy that uses music as a therapeutic tool to address individuals’ physical, emotional, cognitive, and social needs. To achieve specific treatment goals, music therapists use various techniques and interventions, such as singing, playing instruments, listening to music, and composing music.
Mindfulness and meditation
Meditation and mindfulness help bring a sense of overall well-being, calm, and a better sense of the connections between emotions, the body, and the mind. Sometimes, this therapy can be hard for those who have experienced trauma, as sitting still can be very triggering. It’s important to note that even short periods of mindfulness or meditation can have significant benefits.
Journaling
By writing thoughts, feelings, and experiences down, survivors can release the chaos in their heads and create a sense of control over it while being able to objectively observe their own thoughts. This process helps to take the power that many of their thoughts and feelings can have over them when overwhelmed or flooded with emotion.
Support animals
For decades, people with medical issues have used emotional support animals. Dogs and cats are the most prominently used emotional support animals. Emotional support animals help ease anxiety, lower blood pressure, and provide a more balanced nervous system.
Resources
- RAINN – Rape, Abuse, Incest National Network
- National Sexual Violence Resource Center
- ChildUSA
- National Child Advocacy Center
- Suicide Prevention Resources and Online Support
- National Center for Missing and Exploited Children -CyberTip Line
- US Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Families
- The National Child Traumatic Stress Network
- Stop It Now – parental resources, including online support groups and communities
About Andreozzi + Foote
As one of the nation’s leading law firms representing survivors of sexual abuse, Andreozzi + Foote is committed to creating life-changing results for victims and their families. Led by skilled trauma-informed attorneys, our firm has successfully litigated some of the highest-profile child sexual abuse cases over the last 15 years.
We understand that the most important role of the lawyer is to listen to the client and create a path toward recovery specifically designed for that individual survivor. At Andreozzi + Foote, we pride ourselves on navigating the balance between pressing a case for resolution and not interfering with a survivor’s recovery.
To learn more about your rights and legal options, contact Andreozzi + Foote today for a free, confidential case evaluation.
