Michael Stiefvater

Sexual Abuse

At one time I thought about how child sexual abuse was growing

concern in our society. Stories and interviews on TV and in the paper

would keep me aware, but I always thought about how it was always

happening to everyone else. One figure that lingered around in my mind

was that one in six children would be a victim of sexual abuse. Having six

children of my own I thought of these statistics. Knocking on wood so to

speak, until it happened in our family.

Sexual abuse can destroy a family, especially when the perpetrator is

considered a member of the family. It is frustrating when someone that is

trusted betrays that trust. Family members become angry , divided and

deny that anything is wrong. The effects on the victim is the toughest

thing to deal with.

The Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA) defines

child abuse and neglect as "at a minimum, any recent act or failure to act

on the part of a parent or caretaker, which results in death, serious

physical or emotional harm, sexual abuse or exploitation, or an act or

failure to act which presents an imminent risk of serious harm." Some

states have exceptions, but the term child refers to someone not yet 18.

Then CAPTA defines "sexual abuse" as: the employment, use, persuasion,

inducement, enticement, or coercion of any child to engage in, or assist

any other person to engage in, any sexual explicit conduct or simulation

of such conduct for the purpose of producing a visual depiction of such

conduct; or the rape, and in cases of caretaker or inter-familial

relationships, statutory rape, molestation, prostitution, or any other form

of sexual exploitation of children, or incest with children."

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