Signs of Sexual Abuse

The following signs, by themselves, do not tell us that the child has been abused but indicate that we need to know more about the child's circumstances.
Physical Indicators:

• Sleep disturbances and nightmares
• sudden weight change
• cuts or sores made by the child on their arms
• recurring physical ailments
• difficulty in walking or sitting, excessive itching in the genital or anal area due to infections
• torn and stained or bloody underwear
• sexually transmitted diseases
• pregnancy
• injuries to the mouth, genital or anal areas

Behavioral Indicators:

In a younger child:

• Excessive sadness, frequent crying, anxiety
• Inserting objects into the vagina or rectum
• Excessive dependency, fear of home or a specific place, excessive fear of men or women, lacking trust in others
• Age-inappropriate sexual play or sexually explicit drawings
• Sudden non-participation in activities, poor peer relationships, poor self-image, overall poor self-care

In an older child:

• Sudden lack of interest in friends or activities, unable to "have fun" with others
• Startled response to touching
• Overwhelming interest in sexual activities
• Hostility towards authority, truancy and/or running away from home
• Wearing of provocative clothing or layers of clothing to hide bruises
• Recurrent physical complaints that are without physiological basis
• Suicide attempts, drug/alcohol misuse, poor personal hygiene, promiscuity, sexual acting out in a variety of ways

(This material was abstracted from the "BC Handbook for Action on Child Abuse and Neglect". It is published by the Ministry of Children and Family Development and can be viewed on the Internet at: http://www.gov.bc.ca/mcf/)