If you suspect your child has been sexually abused, you may have already seen some of the warning signs. Sexual abuse of children is reported 80,000 times a year in the U.S., according to the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry,...
Sexual abuse in children is a serious problem in the United States. Due to difficulty victims have in reporting cases, hard data on sexual abuse is hard to come by. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, an estimated...
Young children who are sexually abused often have difficulty understanding or explaining what has happened. While tens of thousands of sexual child abuse cases are reported each year, many are not reported because children are afraid to tell or...
Protecting Yourself and Children Parents want to protect children from sexual abuse, but they can't always be there to do it. Since that is the reality in life, children and teens need to know about sexual abuse in order to increase their...
Parenthood Magazine has compiled an informative list of common warning signs that a child has been or is being sexually abused. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services says that certain professionals such as social workers, teachers,...
Many people imagine sexual abuse happening to older children, even teenagers. Tragically, the average victim is first molested around age 3, reports safety author Gavin DeBecker. Toddlers and preschool children lack the vocabulary and...
Drug abuse rarely has any positive outcomes and when children are involved in a situation with drug abuse, the consequences can continue to affect the child throughout her lifetime. When children are raised by people who abuse drugs, their basic...
According to the National Criminal Justice Reference Service, sexual abuse in children is rarely a one-time event--it may last anywhere from one day to many years. While the average age of a sexually abused child is seven or eight, child abuse...
Abnormal behavior in children is considered as any type of behavior that interferes with daily functioning. Abnormal behavior can be symptoms of anxiety, depression, eating disorders, extreme defiance, rage or physical aggression to self or...
The link between parents drinking alcohol and their children suffering abuse is unmistakable. More than 76 million people worldwide abuse alcohol, explains GreenFacts.org. Fourteen million of them live in the USA and 6.6 million American children...
Child abuse is any treatment that isn't in the best interest (either physically, psychologically or emotionally) of the child. This includes any physical harm, sexual act, neglect, verbal degradation or emotional or psychological harm. Abuse can...
Overview Sexual abuse involves forcing, tricking, threatening or pressuring a child into sexual awareness or activity. Sexual abuse can be physical, verbal or emotional, and occurs when an older or more knowledgeable child or adult uses a...
Childhood sexual abuse is defined as any exposure to imposed sexual acts through manipulation, coercion or power tactics upon a child who is not developmentally capable of understanding or consenting to such acts. Sexual abuse may or may not...
According to Love Our Children USA, 98,000 children every year receive treatment for sexual abuse. Love Our Children USA reports that infants often develop problems because of the psychological or physical ability to cope with the molestation....
According to research by the Boys Town National Research Hospital, children with disabilities are almost twice as likely to be neglected, about 1 1/2 times more likely to be physically abused, and twice as likely to be sexually abused than...
Child sexual abuse is a sad reality. Millions of children are the victims of sexual abuse. Most abuse victims are between the ages of 8 and 12, although much younger children--including babies and toddlers--are abused as well, according to the...
Millions of children are sexually abused each year in the United States. In fact, 10 percent of adult men and 25 percent of adult females recall being sexually abused during their childhood, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. Most...
Family members who are not the targets of abuse can suffer long-lasting emotional damage from witnessing the abuse of a loved one. According to the American Psychological Association, more than 3 million children annually witness domestic violence...
As the parent of a 4-year-old, you are likely aware that your child's interests, opinions and mood can change from one hour to the next -- sometimes, it seems, from one minute to the next. However, if you notice a sudden, drastic and lasting...
Alcoholism can affect children not only during their childhood, but also into their adult lives. They are forced to structure daily routines and activities around their alcoholic parents to avoid humiliating episodes, conflict or violent...
Although the signs and causes of child abuse within a home are unique in each situation, some common elements oftentimes exist, according to "Understanding Child Abuse and Neglect" by Cynthia Crosson-Tower. In addition, certain causes underlying...
The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry notes that a parent's mental illness can present a variety of risks for a child. Schizophrenia, in particular, can contribute to highly unpredictable and confusing behavior in a household,...
Obesity--excessive body weight that increases risk for numerous diseases--poses numerous physical and emotional risks for children and adults. In addition to genetic factors and lifestyle habits, sexual, physical and emotional abuse may increase a...
Substance abuse damages family structure by causing a breakdown of values and lowering inhibitions of the members. Family members of substance abusers are more likely to become victims of family violence than members of a non-abusing family. The...
According to Childhelp, a national child abuse prevention organization, each year there are more than three million reports of child abuse and neglect in the United States. Childhelp reports that in 2007, about 3.2 million abuse reports involved...
Parenting is one of the most challenging jobs you can undertake because it's so multifaceted. Not only are you responsible for everything from physical health to education, but your child keeps developing, so your duties change accordingly. You...
Having your child become a victim of a sexual predator is many parents' worst nightmare, but is something that happens far too often. In fact, 20 percent of little girls and 10 percent of little boys are victims of a sexual abuser, according to...
Because of their age and maturity level, children under the age of 18 cannot consent to sexual activity. According to the American Psychological Association, child sexual abuse is defined as any interactions between an adult and child that result...
According to a review by Laura Kaminsky and colleagues published in the "Journal of Pediatric Psychology," 10 to 15 percent of all school-aged children suffer from recurring abdominal pain. In the majority of these cases, no anatomical or...
