We want you to better understand child abuse. The following frequently asked questions are designed to educate you about child maltreatment. If you still have questions after reading these materials, please call us at (843) 723-3600. We are here to help.

What is child sexual abuse?
What is child physical abuse?
What is child emotional abuse?
Are there other forms of abuse?
Is sex between an adult and a child ever okay?
Can a child consent to having sex with an adult or much older child?
As a parent, is there anything special I need to know about abuse?
What type of person typically sexually abuses children?
Do children ever lie about something as serious as sexual abuse?
Wouldn’t a child who has been sexually abused be fearful of the offender?
Why do some adults not believe children when they report sexual abuse?
What can I do to protect children from sexual abuse?

What is child sexual abuse?
Child sexual abuse can include any kind of sexual act directed toward a child by an adult or by an older or more powerful child. Sexual abuse has many forms:
• Sexual touching and fondling;
• Exposing a child to pornographic materials, adult sexual activity or sexually explicit talk;
• Exposure of the genitals, including photographing the child’s genitals or the child in a sexual position;
• Oral sex;
• Non-contact, grooming; 
• Any type of penetration of a child’s vagina or anus, however slight, by a penis, finger, tongue or other object.

What is child physical abuse?

Child physical abuse is the inflicting of physical injury upon a child. Physical abuse may include burning, hitting, punching, shaking, kicking, beating, or otherwise harming a child. While the adult or older or more powerful child may not have intended to hurt the child, the injury is not an accident. The abuse may, however, have been the result of over-discipline or physical punishment that is inappropriate to the child's age.

What is child emotional abuse?
Emotional abuse includes acts or the failures to act by parents or caretakers that have caused or could cause serious behavioral, cognitive, emotional or mental disorders. This can include threatening a child, belittling or rejecting a child, using derogatory terms to describe the child, and habitual scapegoating or blaming.

Are there other forms of abuse?
Yes. Child abuse can include physical neglect, emotional neglect, educational neglect and medical neglect. Neglect is when a child's basic needs for food, housing, health care and warm clothing are not met. Children who are made to live in unhygienic conditions are said to experience neglect. Leaving children without adequate supervision for their age is also a form of neglect.
Child abuse also includes exposure to domestic violence and exposure to substance abuse. Exposure to family violence between adults in a child's home is harmful to children. It can include witnessing or being aware of it happening between adults in the home. Exposure to substance abuse such as drugs or alcohol by parents and other caregivers can have negative effects on the health, safety, and well-being of children.

Is sex between an adult and a child ever okay?
NO.  Sex between an adult and a child is against the law.

Can a child consent to having sex with an adult or much older child?
NO. Children are simply not mature enough to make an informed decision regarding having sex.

What type of person typically sexually abuses children?
Unfortunately there is no one set of characteristics that describes individuals who sexually abuse children. Sex offenders are represented in every socio-economic, ethnic, religious and racial group. We do know that most sex offenders are known to their victim and the victim’s family.

Do children ever lie about something as serious as sexual abuse?
YES. Children do lie, and they lie about sexual abuse. However, evidence shows that children tend to lie by denying abuse, minimizing the extent of abuse and recanting their disclosure to try to undo what they perceive as the negative consequences of disclosure.

Wouldn’t a child who has been sexually abused be fearful of the offender?
People who sexually abuse children usually want to continue to have access to the child so the abuse can continue. They also want the child to accept the sexual behaviors as okay. For these reasons, most offenders groom their victims by acts of love, special attention and gifts. Offenders may define the relationship and the child as special. Remember, individuals who sexually abuse children are often loved and cherished adults in or close to the child’s family who play a positive role in the child’s life.

Why do some adults not believe children when they report sexual abuse?
Many adults continue to believe that child sexual abuse is rare or it could never happen to the children they know. Adults do not want to believe that someone they know and trust — someone like them — could sexually abuse a child. Refusing to believe that a child has been sexually abused is a defense mechanism that many adults use to protect themselves from having to face the discomfort and reality of this crime against children.
When the offender is someone in the family, acknowledging the abuse can result in loss to others in the family. If the offender is the father, the mother may be blamed for being with someone who could abuse a child. The non-offending caregiver may believe that if she attempts to protect the child, the offender will physically harm her and/or her child. Non-offending parents also risk losing the support of their communities, houses of worship, and extended families if these groups believe the offender’s denial rather than the child’s report. When the alleged offender is an older child in the family, parents may feel that they have to choose between the victim and offender if they believe the report of abuse.

What can I do to protect children from sexual abuse?
Sexual abuse is a major health hazard that affects at least twenty percent of our children. While there is no action that is guaranteed to protect children from sexual abuse, there are steps adults can take to decrease the likelihood of abuse. As an adult, it is important for you to understand that children are not prepared or able to protect themselves from this risk. Children must rely on the adults in their lives to keep them safe. In order to protect children, adults must become educated about child sexual abuse. Our booklet, "Children Can’t Protect Themselves: It’s Your Job", will help you learn how.