Sexual abuse is a sad reality that we face in the world today, and unfortunately children are not spared from it. More depressing is the fact that children are more likely to be abused by people in their family or people they trust. This therefore means that most times when children get sexually abused, they are coerced and manipulated into silence by their abusers. 

As a parent, you have to be on the lookout for signs of sexual abuse that might help you know when your child is behaving unusually. That way, you will be able to investigate what is wrong, and provide them with the necessary help that they need to heal and move past the unfortunate incident.

Here are some signs that will help you know if your child has been sexually molested. And while these symptoms do not automatically mean that your child has been sexually abused, it is worth it to still investigate to know what is wrong and help your child.

Notice When Your Child Exhibits Frequent Emotional Changes

Children like every other human go through emotional changes especially in reaction to things happening in their environment and that is fine. But it often means there is a problem when children show frequent emotional changes. According to studies, some of the signs that show that children exhibit when they have been sexually abused includes the following:

Become more quiet and distant than usual

When a child is abused, they become very sad and disappointed for obvious reasons. As a result, they might become less trusting, and if the abusers are still around them, they might just withdraw from people as a coping mechanism. If your child becomes more quiet than they necessarily are, it is a great time to have a conversation with them. Reassure them of your love, and let them know that they can trust you.

The child becomes more angry and aggressive than usual

Another emotion that children usually exhibit a lot when they have been sexually abused is anger. Obviously, they are disappointed that something that dark has happened to them, and they are afraid of the perpetrator of the act, so the only way they can express their disappointment is through anger. You must realise that sometimes, the perpetrators of sexual abuse threaten them with dire consequences if they tell anybody, so their anger is usually a mask for underlying problems. If you notice your child getting angrier than they normally are, it might be time to sit down and have a conversation about abuse.

Frequent crying for no obvious reasons

Frequent crying for no reason is another trait that children typically exhibit when they have been sexually molested. If your child cries frequently especially when nobody is looking, it might be time for you to have a sit-down with them to investigate if they have been molested.

Notice When Child Show Some Physical Changes

Children are not fully developed for sexual activities yet, so when molesters forcefully abuse them sexually, there are physical changes that a vigilant parent can see right away. Here are some changes that a child might exhibit if they have been sexually abused:

Soreness/Swelling In The Genital Area

Whenever you notice a swelling in the genital area of your child’s body, that is always a red flag. Move swiftly and investigate the cause of the swelling so as to make sure that your child is safe. If it is determined that the child has been abused sexually, you need to take the child to the hospital so that further examination can be carried out on them.

Bruises On Some Parts Of Their Body

Another red flag that might point out that your child has been sexually abused is when they have unexplainable bruises on their body. Sure, children play rough at times, and can sustain injuries from playing at home or at school, but you still want to make sure that you investigate all injuries to rule out sexual abuse or molestation.

They Experience Difficulty Walking or Sitting

Have you  noticed your child experiencing some level of difficulty when trying to walk or sit? Then you must investigate further on the cause of the discomfort. Children are usually not developed for sexual activities, so when predators molest them sexually, it often affects them physically. A difficulty in walking or sitting might be due to bruises in their private parts and genital areas. Having a one-on-one conversation with your child will help you know more.

Pain When Using The Toilet

If your child is squirming in pain when using the toilet, chances are that they may have been sexually abused. As a parent, make sure that you eliminate the chances of the child having been abused before checking for other causes of the pain. In doing so, you will know if your child has been abused, and you will help the child get help on time.

Has Your Child Been Abused? Get The Help That You Need

Has your child been abused and you are confused on how to help that child heal? We are here to help. Contact us at the Smile And Shine Foundation today for professional post-trauma counselling from qualified medical experts. We are there to listen, we believe their story, they are not alone, they are not to blame for the abuse and should feel no guilt or shame.

Conclusion

Child abuse is a terrible event for any child and they must be helped to heal from it as soon as possible. Unfortunately, many child abuse perpetrators often bully their victims into silence with threats of shame and other methods. As such, many children in a quest to protect themselves do not tell their parents about sexual abuse that they have encountered. With the methods, listed in this post, parents should be able to diagnose and discover child abuse, then get the children all they help they need to heal physically and emotionally.