Sexual Abuse Of Children 2

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Sexual Abuse of Children, Part Two
by Dr. George Sharpe (June, 1985)
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SEXUAL ABUSE OF CHILDREN

PART II: THE OVERT SEXUAL PHASE

Once offenders in a child abuse/incest situation feel that they have gained the child’s compliance, they will contrive a situation or circumstance in which to display their feelings. The emotions and drives of the offender may be satisfied in several ways. It may be some time or never before they attempt sexual intercourse as we might recognize it.

Sexual activity can be manifest in different forms: Mutual masturbation; Oral-genital sex; Vaginal/rectal penetration; or “Dry” sex where genitalia are rubbed against the child The offender is more likely to ejaculate on but not inside the child. Thus, children may present to hospitals with long histories of someone who has had “intercourse” with them but physical evidence is lacking.

Lack of physical evidence may be consistent with the child’s information as children are often confused as to the nature of sexual intercourse.

This is particularly so if the offender has been using the child to rub their genitalia. When confronted with apparent discrepancies between history and physical evidence, dolls with appropriate genitalia can be used by children to help tell the correct story. Children vary considerably in what they may define as sexual activity. They may well say to others that the act of kissing represents sex.

To the offender, remaining hidden from the knowledge of others is very important. Disclosure and loss of secrecy is what they most fear. It is often difficult to understand why children will continue with an offender for years at a time.

We must remember that we always emphasize obedience in children toward adults. The silence of the child may often be thought to represent complicity. This is rarely the case. In the enticement phase, fear and threats may have been used, now supplemented by embarrassment. Such children may appear vulnerable to others within the incestuous family unit. Cases exist where a grandfather abused the child and the mother as well. Other cases recount multiple abuse wherein father, uncle and brother enter the incestuous circle. The child’s silence is considered as compliance, that they want to be seduced. Such a child is setup for frequent molestation.

Many will question, surely the mother of the child must have known what was going on in the family ? The answer is usually affirmative in approximately 3/4 of the situations. But often the mother is a victim as well. Molested as a child, she may have low esteem, feelings of worthlessness and helplessness. To placate the offending adult, she may have recruited the child or restrained her during the molestation process.

NEXT: Part three… Disclosure and Cover-Up

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