Pedophilia: is my child a victim?

Anger and panic are manifested in the country. Whether you know it or not, someone you know was once a victim of harassment or sexual abuse. Is your child safe? You are the one who should look for the signs.

What is sexual abuse?

Sexual assaults on minors are the most horrible crimes. Current medical studies show that sexual contact with adults cause serious and deep psychological damage to children. Studies also show that the consequences of abuse are likely to be greater if the child was very young when the assault occurred. Your child may also be a victim of sexual abuse. Their number one enemy is silence; this is one more reason for parents to pay attention to the smallest repetitive behavior or signs of change.

Some warning signs:

- your child refuses to undress in certain places or wears too many layers of clothes to sleep.

- your child is fascinated or, conversely, repelled by physical contact.

- your child has an unexplained fear of certain places.

- he/she suddenly refuses to be babysat or be alone with a particular person.

- your child has sudden mood swings, concentration problems and a sudden drop in academic performance.

- he/she lost interest in activities he loves.

- He/she is afraid of sleeping alone, has constant nightmares.

In some cases, the child may manifest health problems (vomiting, increased or decreased appetite). Pay particular attention to bruises on the thighs, irritation or unexplained changes in the genitals.

But who are these sexual predators?

The pedophile is a narcissist who sexually desires children. They can be teenagers, men or even women from all social classes and environments. These people are usually above all suspicion. It's very rare that the person doesn't know the victim well. The pedophile mainly wants the child to know that he loves him/her. They talk together, laugh together, play together... These attackers are often part of the entourage of the victim and usually spend time in environments that enable them to get in touch with the child. He can be a friend, a neighbor, a scout leader or a youth worker, a housekeeper who often babysits the child herself, a teacher, a priest... it's unfortunately very often a family member like as father, an uncle, a grandfather, a great-uncle, a stepfather, a brother ...