Child sexual abuse involves both touching and non touching activities.

Some examples of touching activities  include :

• Touching a child’s genitals  for pleasure.
• Making a child touch someone’s genitals , encouraging a child to play sexual games or putting objects or  body parts in the vagina, anus or mouth of a child for pleasure.

Non touching activities include the following :

• Showing pornography to a child.
• Photographing a child in sexual poses
• Deliberately exposing an adult’s genitals to children .
• Encouraging a  child to watch or hear sexual acts.
• Inappropriately watching a child undress or use the bathroom

It is not always easy to spot sexual abuse because the perpetrators takes steps to hide it. However there are certain signs that can help you know that something is not right. If you feel its  not right ,it is always better to talk to your child than ignore the signs.

Warning signs of sexual abuse in children

Physical signs

• Sexually Transmitted Infections STI.
• Signs of trauma to genital areas such as unexplained bleeding, bruising, or blood on the sheets .

Behavioral signs

• Sexual behavior that is not appropriate  for the child’s age .
• Bedwetting or soiling the bed  if the child has already outgrown these behaviors.
•  The child doesn’t want to be left alone with certain people or being afraid to be away from caregiver especially if this is a new behavior.
• The child doesnt want to remove clothing to take a bath or change .

Emotional signs

• Excessive talk about or  knowledge of sexual topics.
• Resuming behaviors that they had grown out of such as thumb sucking.
• Nightmares or fear of being alone at night
• Excessive worry or fearfulness