Tag Archives: child sexual abuse

What would make a child depressed?

Children can suffer from depression just as adults can. But while mental health groups around the country struggle to increase awareness of the widespread nature of depression in adults, the equivalent illness in children is often very much swept under the carpet. One of the reasons why this occurs is that adults have an entrenched perception that children are very resilient. While this is generally true, and children do seem to bounce back after a distressing episode much more quickly than the majority of adults do, there is a limit to a child’s personal coping skills. Adults also seem to … Continue reading →

For One in Three Children, the Sun Does Not Shine Every Day.

Many years ago, as a young single mother and her two children happily walked the neighborhood streets, they would practice the Japanese they were all learning. “Ichi, Ni, San, Shi, Go,” they would count together as they reached every fifth house on the street. “One, two, three, four, five.” The little girl had trouble remembering the Japanese word for “five”. Searching for something that had reason, the mother desperately tried to find a way to make “Go” stay in her daughter’s mind. A family committed to ending child abuse, the mother used a figure that had meaning to their social … Continue reading →

How to Ask a Child if They’ve Been Sexually Abused.

The hard and awful questions of are life are usually left in the too hard basket. Parents may have an inkling that something is wrong because their child’s behavior has changed. While some parents never even consider that it could be sexual abuse, other parents (like me) worry themselves sick over the possibility of sexual abuse but most will never raise it as a possibility with their child. Sexual abuse is a hard topic to begin talking about if it has not been part of at home protective behavior discussions. Mebe’s story and early craving for someone to ask him … Continue reading →

The Grooming Process of a Child Sexual Predator.

Grooming is a process of desensitization that predators use on children to prepare and trick them into accepting sexual abuse. Once the predator has gained the child’s trust and confidence, they use everyday behaviours, like telling an inappropriate joke, a touch on the upper arm that lingers a little too long or a kiss on the lips to test whether your child is likely to tell on them. If the perpetrator is satisfied that your child won’t tell, the predator moves onto other forms of bad touching. If the child still doesn’t tell, then the abuse continues along the continuum … Continue reading →