What You Should Know
Child Sexual Abuse
Child Sexual Abuse is not just something that happens to other people in other places. Hundreds of children in this community are victims of child sexual abuse. It occurs in all socio-economic levels, all ethnic groups and to both boys and girls. Men and women can be perpetrators of child sexual abuse.
The statistics are alarming. One in four girls and one in six boys will be victims of sexual abuse prior to age 18. There is a good chance you know someone who has been abused sexually. Of adults who say they have been victims of any type of sexual assault, 70-80 percent say that the assault occurred prior to age 18.
Only about 1 in 10 victims of sexual assault report the event to outside authorities.
Last year, over 250 children, ranging in age from a few weeks to early teens, came to Monarch Children’s Justice & Advocacy Center to find help in ending the abuse and getting the services they need to heal emotionally and physically.
A recent study by the Department of Justice looked at the link between juvenile and adult criminal behavior and child abuse. The study found that it was the response the child recieved when he/she disclosed the abuse, rather than the sexual nature of the abuse, that was the significant factor in whether the child participated in criminal behaviors later in life.
Sexual abuse impacts more children than any childhood disease, and it is happening in epidemic proportions.
No one wants to talk or think about sexual abuse of children – and that is part of the problem. Child sexual abuse is perpetuated through secrets and shame. It is time for the community to share responsibility for preventing and intervening in this serious problem.
By using a multi-disciplinary, child friendly, collaborative response to sex abuse, MCJAC is changing in significant and positive ways the response children receive when they disclose child sexual abuse.
The majority of children that experience sexual abuse are victims of someone they know and trust. These individuals often gain trust and access to the child by gaining the trust of the parent(s) first.
For more information on grooming and what to look for please visit: