Hello Everyone! I hope you enjoyed Laurie Cameron’s post last week! I’m back this week discussing another issue that faces our young people of today. And the topic that’s on my mind is a serious one.
As I’m sure you all know Jerry Sandusky was found Guilty on forty five of the forty eight counts of sexual abuse that he was charged with. This didn’t surprise me at all. The man is a predator and he’s the worse kind because he appears to be such a nice guy.
As I pondered this case, I started thinking about the victims. How did they get involved with their abuser? How does this start?
As I researched this horrendous event I noticed that these kids are groomed by their abuser long before the abuse happens. The kids are given special attention and gifts from the abuser. He builds a rapport with the child and breaks down his or her boundaries. This is the reason the abuse continues over a number of years, because the victim is so confused about what is happening. The abuser is so nice.
I also noticed that the abuser targeted children that were in less than ideal circumstances. Look at the kids Sandusky abused. They came from the charity he founded called “The Second Mile”, a charity for underprivileged and at risk youths. These kids didn’t have parents or didn’t have a lot of parental involvement.
I realized that was the key right there, parental involvement. Abusers will not target children who have good relationships with their parents, because they don’t want to get caught.
So parents, get involved with your kids. Go to their sporting events and get to know their coach. Hang out with them once in a while. Find out who they’re hanging out with when you’re not there. And if you see an adult being overly attentive to your child and buying him/her gifts, you should be on high alert. This is a huge red flag and the relationship should be nipped in the bud, or at the very least supervised. Let’s stop this kind of abuse before it starts.
Sadly, even when parents are involved with their children abuse still happens. So here are some warning signs to look out for that show your child may have been or is being abused.
Behaviors
- Inappropriate sexual behavior
- Excessive Masturbation
- Asking questions about specific sex acts
- Age in-appropriate sex play with friends, siblings, pets, or toys may indicate abuse has occurred.
- Thinking that the body is dirty or bad
- Sexual nightmares where the child wakes up screaming or sweating
Physical Symptoms
- Urinary Tract or Yeast Infections
- The child starts wetting the bed
- Loss of bowel or bladder control
- Eating may become difficult; the child may gag or complain about painful swallowing.
- Difficulty Urinating or Deficating
- Bloody Urine or Stool
For more detailed information about these signs click the link below:
http://www.livestrong.com/article/225236-signs-of-sexual-abuse-in-children-teens/
Abuse is a serious problem. If you suspect your child has been abused please seek professional help.
I want to thank Livestrong.com for some of the information provided in this post.
I also wanted to let everyone know, that there won’t be a blog post next Thursday as I won’t have internet access next week (Scheduled maintenance) but I’ll be back the week after that. J
A great post helping to bring to light a horrific problem
Thanks Lindsay! This issue really bothers me! I hope that with the conviction of Jerry Sandusky more people will be more aware of how manipulative these predators are! Thanks for stopping by!
Thank you for being concerned about the children of the world. Maybe if people were so concerned when I was a child I might not have been abused for 9 years before someone finally realized what was happening to me. I did have a savior, in a sense, because my next door neighbor seen my dad through my window and reported it to social services. As an adult, I realize this person was trying to do the noble thing and protect an abused child, but it was very traumatic for me at the time. Social services and a cop showed up on my doorstep the next day ready to take me away from my mom. I was terrified. My mom was the only little piece of sanity I knew, if that makes sense to you. Luckily, she talked them into letting me stay at home, and my Dad was out of the house the next day. He spent three years behind bars, and I feel like I have been in prison my whole life . Because of this, I believe what you are doing is vitally important. No child deserves to go through what I went through…am still going through. Please continue to spread the word. This is an epidemic that will not go away ….we shouldn’t just ignore it thinking it will. I just wanted to let you know how much I appreciate the effort you have made to help children who might be enduring a similar experience to mine. Thanks again.
Thanks for stopping by and sharing your story. I’m so sorry about what happened to you! I hope you’re able to overcome any obstacles that the abuse you experienced caused you. Thank God your mother who removed your abuser from your home. Take care of yourself! 🙂 If there’s any way I can help, let me know.
Reblogged this on surviving sexual abuse and commented:
Parents please heed this important message. This is an epidemic that will not go away….we can not ignore it thinking it will vanish into thin air.
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Thanks for stopping by!
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Thanks so much! I appreciate you stopping by and giving me words of encouragement!