Who Sexually Abuses Children?
There are some people who sexually abuse children, but there are many more people who only touch children with OK touches. Most sex offenders are men, though some are women. You cannot tell by the way they look, dress, or act that they are offenders. Most of the time the offender is not a stranger, but someone who is well known to the child. Why Does Sexual Abuse Happen? There are lots of different reasons just like there are lots of different offenders. But it is very hard to know the reason why it happens to any child. We do know this much: no child is responsible for what an adult does. Why Don’t Children Tell? Sometimes the offender tells the child to keep it a secret. The offender may use tricks to keep the child from telling. The person may say: it’s the child’s fault, or that the child or her family will get hurt if she tells. These are all tricks. Sometimes children just keep it a secret because they feel ashamed, embarrassed or scared. Children should tell adults until they fi
There is not one type of abuser but children are most often abused by someone they know and trust. Most children are molested by their fathers, grandfathers, mothers boyfriends, or other adult acquaintances. Children are also abused by older siblings and peers. 80-90% of children are molested by someone the child and family know.
