By Marcie Hambrick, PhD, MSW, Director of Child Sexual Abuse Prevention, Prevent Child Abuse Vermont
There was a sharp decline in reports of child abuse during the pandemic, which indicated that some abuse was likely going unreported as children’s contact with teachers was affected by shut downs and remote learning. It has been an unprecedented time of stress for families struggling to remain healthy, afford basic expenses, and care for children at home for extended periods. Additionally, children have had more screen time for learning and recreation. These factors have increased the risk of children experiencing sexual abuse.
Prior to the pandemic, one in four girls and one in 13 boys were experiencing this trauma, an alarming rate. Many might not know that this type of trauma has lifelong health and mental health detriments such as:
• cancer
• and relationship problems.
Most incidences of child sexual abuse are preceded by a period of grooming. Groomers are skilled at building trust with families, organizations, or children to get access. You can prevent this kind of harm by learning the signs of grooming:
• telling children adult content stories or jokes
• insisting that children give hugs or kisses even when the child seems reluctant
• seeking one to one time with one particular child
• not allowing children their desired privacy
• allowing children to break rules
• asking children to keep secrets
If we see other adults crossing boundaries with children, we have a number of ways we can respond. We can let the person who has crossed a boundary know that we don’t like that kind of behavior. This does not have to be confrontational, because all of us have crossed a boundary without meaning to in our lives. We can have empathy that the person may genuinely not know that their behavior is not optimal. We can suggest a better way of behaving around children, and then watch to see if they take our advice. If the behavior is repetitive or escalating, we may report to a supervisor in a work context or let a caring parent or caregiver know of our concerns. Certainly, people who cross boundaries with children, for whatever reason, should not have alone time with children. We can ask our organization to have policies that discourage or prohibit one to one time with children as a transparency measure. We can encourage open communication in our families and communities about safe practices as well.
The good news is that child sexual abuse is preventable! We can work together to keep children safe from boundary crossing and harm. If adults take responsibility to address concerning behavior from other adults or older youth, children will have homes, neighborhoods, schools, and sports that are safe and promote their well-being!
To find out more or if you wish to volunteer, attend a training, become a trained trainer, or contribute to our mission please reach out and call Prevent Child Abuse Vermont, at 802-229-5724