Signs of Sexual Abuse in Children

How to know when children have been sexually abused poses special challenges. Some children speak up right away, while others are scared into silence. Some show no signs, while others show signs of stress and trauma. At times, the interactions between children and the persons who may be abusing them raise concerns. Children’s individualized behaviors can also lead to further inquiry. In this article, the first part describes children’s individualized indicators and the second part describes indicators that are present in interactions with possible abusers. Parents often blame themselves for missing the signs. Unfortunately, sometimes there are no apparents sign and other signs only make sense after disclosure.