WHAT SHOULD I DO IF I SUSPECT MY CHILD HAS BEEN SEXUALLY ABUSED?

If you think your child may have been sexually abused, it is okay to talk to your child about it. It is important to remain calm in speaking to children who may have been sexually abused. You can ask children directly if anyone has touched their bodies in a way that they did not like or has forced them to do things that they did not want to do. A parent shouldn’t grill a child for every detail or ask numerous questions. Reassure the child that they are not to blame. Consider asking a few gentle, open-ended questions such as: “Tell me more about that.” “Who did that?” “Where were you when that happened?”