124 p r e v e n t i n g s e x u a l a b u s e
If your child has been sexually abused
If your child has been sexually abused, you can help if you:
• believe what she says. Children rarely make up stories about sexual
abuse.
• praise her for telling you. Children need to know that they have done
the right thing by talking about the abuse.
• reassure her that the abuse is not her fault and that you are not
angry with her.
• protect her safety. Try to prevent future contact between the child
and her abuser. If this is not possible, make sure you or someone who
knows what happened is always with your child when the abuser is
present.
• treat physical health problems from the abuse. Try to get your child
tested for sexually transmitted infections, even if she does not have
any signs. Some sexually transmitted infections do not have any
signs, or they do not come until a child is older.
As a parent, you also need help. Parents feel many emotions including
disbelief, anger, and sadness when they learn their child has been
abused. Parents may blame each other for what happened to their
child. It can help to talk about these feelings with someone you trust.
Be patient with yourself. It may take a long time for these feelings to
change.
To make all children in the community safer
Programs in schools and community meetings can educate the entire
community about sexual abuse. Acting out short plays or skits sometime
makes it easier for people to discuss abuse as a group.
Plan workshops for parents to help them learn ways of
communicating with very young children about sexual
abuse.
Hold meetings to decide how your community can
respond to cases of sexual abuse. Some communities
have suggested public shaming by demonstrating in
front of houses of known abusers.
helping children who are blind