FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Wednesday, Nov. 7, 2007

CONTACT

Lori Maldonado
Deputy Director, Office of Communications
303-692-2028

Most Child Sexual Abuse Occurs at the Hands of Trusted Adults

DENVER - State sexual violence experts Wednesday said that the vast majority of child sexual abuse is perpetrated by someone the child knows.

“Teaching children about strangers is not enough to keep them safe. All adults in the community play a vital role in preventing child sexual abuse,” stressed Jen Bruner, prevention education coordinator for the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment’s Sexual Assault Prevention Program.

Bruner stated that adults are often reluctant to believe a trusted family friend or relative would hurt a child in this way. But taking action at the first hint of something inappropriate could prevent sexual abuse from happening.

She added, “The only person to blame for the sexual abuse of a child is the abuser. Children are never to blame for being sexually abused, and the responsibility for keeping children safe lies squarely with adults.”

One of the agencies the department provides grant funding to is SHARE, Inc., a private non-profit agency in Fort Morgan that focuses on the prevention and treatment of domestic and sexual violence.

“Programs like SHARE are crucial in that they provide sexual assault prevention training to adult caregivers who have contact with children,” said Bruner. “Such programs educate adults to prevent, recognize and react responsibly to child sexual abuse.”

Paula Bragg, program coordinator for SHARE, said adults routinely teach their children to stay away from strangers. However, 90 percent of child sexual abuse is perpetrated by someone the child knows.

“People who abuse children look and act just like everyone else. They often go out of their way to appear trustworthy to gain access to children,” Bragg said.

Bragg provided the following seven steps developed by The Stewards of Children Program, which is part of SHARE, to protect children from sexual abuse:

1. Learn the facts. Realities-not trust-should influence your decisions regarding your child.

2. Minimize opportunity. More than 80 percent of sexual abuse cases occur in one-adult/one-child situations. Eliminating or reducing these situations will dramatically lower the risk of sexual abuse on children.

3. Talk about sexuality and sexual abuse with children. Sexual abuse occurs in a climate of secrecy. Children often keep abuse a secret so creating open dialogue on the issue makes children less vulnerable and more likely to disclose if they are approached sexually by an adult or older child.

4. Stay alert. Don’t expect obvious signs when a child is being sexually abused. There may not be obvious signs. Physical signs are fairly uncommon, while emotional and behavior changes are more typical. If you notice changes in your child’s behavior such as sleeping and eating habits, new or unusual fears or nightmares, take them seriously, talk about it with your child and know where to go for help. Don’t be afraid to look into it if your instincts tell you that something is wrong. Your child’s safety is at stake.

5. Make a plan. Learn where to go for help, who to call and how to react. For information on local resources call the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment at 303-692-2469.

6. Act on suspicions. The future well-being of a child is at stake.

7. Get involved. Find out about the organizations in your area that fight child sexual abuse and how you can help. Volunteer and financially support organizations that fight the tragedy of child sexual abuse.

Bragg indicated that participants who complete the Stewards of Children program have said they wish all parents could have this training. One person wrote on the evaluation, “This is a subject that has been overlooked for too long. It is about time we become more educated to minimize the abuse and help the abused.”

For more information about child sexual assault prevention, the public may call Bruner at 303-692-2469. To find out more about the Stewards of Children program and the seven prevention steps, contact Paula Bragg at SHARE, Inc. at 970-867-4444, or visit www.darkness2light.org.

---30---

State of Colorado,  Department Home