Help support 1 million sexual violence survivors

Working with patients who have a history of child sexual abuse, the question commonly arises, “Why didn’t any of the adults around me take notice that I wasn’t ok or step in to help?”

It can be difficult to recognize when a child is being sexually abused by someone in their lives - a relative, a coach, a friend’s older sibling, etc. People who prey upon children tend to be sly and opportunistic, often manipulating a child into secrecy.

But there are common signs that we can all learn to recognize and be attentive to in order to protect the children we encounter within our communities. 

Here are some common ones:

• Difficulty walking or sitting
• Pain, itching, bleeding, bruising, or unusual discharge to the genital area or anus
• Urinary infections or sexually transmitted infections
• Persistent sore throats
• Pregnancy
• Exhibits sexualized behavior in their play or with other children
• Refusing to change for PE or participate in physical activities
• Exhibits an inappropriate knowledge of sex for their age
• Uses inappropriate sexual language
• Bedwetting
• Changes in eating habits or developing eating disorders
• Avoids or is afraid of being left alone with people or a specific person
• Lack of peer relationships
• Refusing to go to school
• Running away from home
• Alcohol or drug use
• Anxiety
• Self-harm or attempts at suicide

While this list is far from complete, it demonstrates that looking out for physical, behavioral, psychological/emotional, and social signs of distress is important for recognizing when a child in our world is being sexually abuses. 

No one single symptom means that a child is being sexually abused - they could indicate other stressors in a child’s life. But leaning in and be a supportive adult can often reveal other concerning signs  

Research has shown, when community members notice and step in to help, it goes a long way toward protecting children - by either getting a child who has been harmed the caring support they need, and even stopping abuse in it’s tracts.

Silence supports violence. Please pass on this information.

These days, it seems like every issues becomes hyper-politicized. From inception, our organization has been focus upon bringing people from all corners of the political spectrum together for the common goal of stopping sexual violence.

While different organizations do a great job focusing on a particular form of sexual violence, Global Change Project, and our primary project MapYourVoice.org, are aimed at linking the common threads between all forms of sexual violence and shining a light upon the destructive roll sexual violence plays in our communities.

Some of the community costs of sexual violence include:

• A heightened sense (and reality) of unsafely for community members
• Harm and pain experienced by the victim and their loved ones 
• High financial costs of mental and physical healthcare
• A heavy burden on the judicial and law enforcement systems
• A decreased sense of community health and wellbeing

By bringing communities together, we can unite behind the common cause of exposing, confronting, and stemming the tide of sexual violence embedded within every community, in all of its form.

Links:

• https://aws.mapyourvoice.org/