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by Julie Posey
Myth: Children are usually molested by strangers.
Fact: About 95% of children are molested by someone they know including family members, extended family, relatives, close friends, neighbors, teachers, members of the clergy and others who know the child. The person most likely to molest children a child are the ones that have the most access to them. The purposely place themselves in positions where there is easy access to children.
Myth: Child sexual abuse usually occurs in poor families.
Fact: Child sexual abuse knows no geographic, socioeconomic, religious and ethnic boundaries. Any child can be at risk of being sexually abused.
Myth: The offending male usually mentally ill.
Fact: There are no statistics to substantiate that the average sex offender is mentally ill, or mentally challenged.
Myth: Children lie about sexual abuse.
Fact: Children do not have an advanced sexual knowledge unless they have experienced it and do not have the ability to make it up without being exposed to it.
Myth: Children are seductive and they have hidden fantasies about sex. They desire it and receive pleasure from it.
Fact: The idea of a child being seductive is a false adult idealization that usually comes from viewing children as sexual objects. Child pornographers will claim that since the child is smiling in the picture, he/she wanted the sexual violation to occur.
Children who have experienced sexual abuse quickly learn that to get their emotional or physical needs met, they have to perform the acts desired by their abusers. Adults misinterpret this as a desire to be abused or as a child “being seductive.”
Myth: Sexual abuse is non-violent and therefore cannot be damaging.
Fact: Even without physical violence, sexual abuse leaves a permanent scar with the victim. This damage includes loss of a normal childhood, being betrayed and exploited by someone they know, love or trust and often bearing the burden of the abuse for a lifetime.
Myth: Sexual abuse is usually a one time isolated incident or perhaps even just a misjudgment on the behalf of the abuser.
Fact: The average sex offender has between 30-150 victims before his first arrest. He often spends weeks, months or even years grooming the child for his own sexual gratification.
Myth: It is better not to talk about child sexual abuse. Children will forget about it and will live normal lives.
Fact: Adults work to avoid talking about child sexual abuse because it makes them uncomfortable. This can cause the child to feel that it is something to be ashamed of and something to feel guilty about. This attitude actually serves to protect the offender and allow him to continue his activity with even more victims. Children don’t just forget being sexually abused.
Tags: Child Pornographers, Child Sexual Abuse, clergy, Close Friends, Common Myths, Easy Access, Ethnic Boundaries, Family Members, Family Relatives, Fantasies, Including Family, Julie Posey, Myth, Physical Violence, Poor Families, Scar, Sex Offender, Sexual Knowledge, Sexual Objects, Sexual Violation
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