Preventing and detecting child sexual abuse in time.

Guidelines to keep children away from danger to their physical integrity.

According to the WHO, one in 5 adult women and one in 13 adult men report having suffered sexual abuse in childhood. OECD data from 2014 show that of the participating countries, Mexico ranks first in sexual abuse and homicides in children under 14 years of age. What is most alarming is that only 30% of sexual assaults on minors are reported..

What is child sexual abuse?

Sexual abuse is any forced sexual activity between a child and someone older than the child.. These activities are divided into sexual behaviors without physical contact and sexual behaviors with physical contact.

Sexual behaviors without physical contact include:

• Sexual comments in front of the child.
• Exhibition of genitals in front of the child, sometimes masturbation may occur.
• Spying on the child while bathing or changing.
• Exhibition of pornography to the child or adolescent.
• Inducing the child or adolescent to undress or masturbate in front of the offender.

Sexual behaviors involving physical contact are:

• Touching intimate parts above or below the clothing.
• Inducing the child to touch the offender.
• Digital or object penetration (either anally or vaginally).
• Oral sex
• Penile penetration

Contexts in which sexual abuse can occur:

• Victim and offender
• Group sex
• Sex rounds
• Sexual exploitation
• Child pornography
• Child prostitution

Risk factors

Thirty percent of sexually abused children were victimized by a family member, 60% by an acquaintance and only 10% did not know their attacker.

Unfortunately, there is no specific profile in children that determines the occurrence of abuse or violence, nor is there a specific profile of an abuser.nor a specific profile of a child sexual abuser. Abusers can be of any age, sex and religion, usually representing figures of respect or authority for the child (even the parents themselves).

All children are vulnerable to being abused in some way, especially children under 4 years of age, but there are also situations that may increase the risk of sexual abuse, for example:

• Minors in the care of someone other than their parents.
• Lack of sex education.
• Need for affection and/or attention.
• New partners of the parents.
• Shyness and/or isolation.
• Low self-esteem.
• Lack of communication in the family.
• Adolescents with a history of substance abuse.
• Physical or intellectual disability.

Warning signs

There are warning signs present and recurrent in children who have been violated, although they can not always be easily detected, these are:

Children

Behavioral warning signs:

• Games: young children act out with their dolls the abuse they have experienced.
• Enuresis and/or ecopresis.
• Any setback in development for no apparent reason.
• Tantrums.
• Night terrors.
• School failure.
• Relationship problems.
• Hypersexuality and/or autoeroticism.
• Unusual sexual knowledge for age.
• Compulsive masturbation.

Physical warning signs:

• Irritation in the genital area.
• Sexually transmitted infections.
• Bumps, bruises or any signs of physical abuse.
• Frequent headaches or stomachaches.

Emotional signs:

• Mood swings
• Crying
• Anger
• Anxiety
• Lack of motivation

Adolescents

Behavioral warning signs:

• Social withdrawal
• School failure
• Addictions
• Difficulty sleeping or sleep disorders
• Difficulty concentrating
• Unusual sexual knowledge for age
• Prostitution
• Promiscuity
• Rebelliousness
• Running away from home

Physical warning signs:

• Bumps or bruises.
• Sexually transmitted infections.
• Unwanted pregnancy.
• Frequent headaches or stomachaches

Emotional signs:

• Depression
• Mood swings
• Abulia
• Anxiety
• Lack of motivation
• Guilt
• Suicidal ideation
• Anxiety disorders

How can child sexual abuse be prevented?

• Encourage self-esteem, security and values from childhood.

• Encourage communication. Whether with a child or adolescent, it is best for them to know that there is someone they can trust and someone who can help them if they feel threatened.

• Teach them to identify dangerous situations according to their age and personal situation. and their personal situation.

• Never force them to kiss or have physical contact with other people.. It is common that when young children do not want to kiss family members, parents force them to do so. However, this decision to decide against physical contact can give them strength to be able to "defend themselves" when someone tries to touch them inappropriately.

• Hygiene and body care. The less dependent children are on personal hygiene, the better so they know that under no circumstances can they be touched inappropriately.

• Encourage boundaries. Children must be taught that they cannot go beyond the limits that caregivers set for them, but not in an arbitrary way, on the contrary, it is important to assertively explain to them that in everything and for everything there are rules that cannot be transgressed.

• Encourage empathy. Teach them to learn to say "I don't like it" so that in a situation they don't like they can say "I don't want to" or "I don't like it".

What to do in case of suspected sexual abuse?

Abusers can be male or female, of any age (other minors can also be abusers) and religion, usually a figure of respect or authority for the child. (other minors can also be aggressors) and religion, usually a figure of respect or authority for the minor.

In the event of any suspicion of sexual abuse of a minor, actions should be taken in order to protect the integrity of the child at all times. It should be remembered at all times that it is a crime that must be reported to the appropriate authorities, regardless of who the sexual abuse comes from.

Examinations to detect sexual abuse should include medical and psychological evaluation with professionals trained for such diagnosis.

The prognosis will depend on multiple factors, such as: age of the child, context, support network and situation of abuse.. However, all children who have suffered sexual abuse need a therapeutic process adapted to their needs and probably also medical care, depending on the physical damage.