What parents should know if their child has been sexually abused is how to best protect the child. They need to support their child, report the abuse, get help to reduce long-term effects, and consider seeking justice through a personal injury claim.
A compassionate Las Vegas sexual assault lawyer can help connect families with critical resources and lead their fight for justice.
Your Child Needs Your Support
It takes a tremendous amount of courage for children to reveal they have been sexually abused, even to a parent. Often, abusers threaten their victims, saying they will harm the victim’s family or tell others the victim is to blame. Children typically feel shame for what has happened to them. How you respond to their revelation matters.
Make sure the child knows you believe them. Emphasize that they didn’t do anything wrong and that you are proud of them for speaking up. Tell them they are safe and that you will protect them from the abuser.
You Must Report the Abuse
Sadly, abusers are often people whom victims and their parents trust. On its About Child Sexual Abuse page, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states, “About 90% of child sexual abuse is perpetrated by someone known and trusted by the child or child’s family members.”
Child sexual abuse is a crime and must be reported. Do not let your relationship with the abuser stop you from reporting it. Abusers must be stopped and held accountable. Reporting them shows your child that the abuser, not the child, is the wrongdoer. It can also help prevent the abuser from victimizing others.
Sexual Abuse Can Have Long-Term Effects
If their child has been sexually abused, parents should know that abuse can have immediate and long-term effects. Victims can experience physical, mental, and behavioral consequences, according to the CDC. Consequences include:
- Sexually transmitted infections
- Physical injuries
- Chronic conditions, such as heart disease, obesity, and even some cancers
- Depression
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Substance abuse
- Risky sexual behaviors
Victims also face a higher risk of suicide or of committing acts of sexual violence. While these potential consequences are terrifying, there is hope. Help is available.
There is Help When a Child Has Been Sexually Abused
Take your child to the pediatrician or the emergency room to have them checked for infections or other damage. Then, address their psychological and emotional needs. The American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) explains where to find help for your child.
To ensure the help comes from a trained professional, the AACAP recommends finding a practitioner through your employee assistance program, a local medical or psychiatric society, local or county medical or psychiatric facilities, or through national advocacy organizations, including the AACAP and the National Mental Health Association.
Prevent Child Abuse Nevada partners with Signs of Hope, whose mission is to offer “hope, help, and healing to those affected by sexual violence and exploitation.” As a parent, you may feel helpless upon learning of your child’s experience. You might blame yourself for “failing” to protect them. You are not helpless, and you can protect them now by connecting with these resources.
Your Child Deserves Justice
The criminal justice system may hold your child’s abuser accountable through criminal penalties. Through criminal penalties, abusers “pay their debt to society.” Parents should know they can demand another form of “personal” justice for their child through the civil court system.
You can file a personal injury claim demanding compensation from the abuser and/or from other parties whose negligence contributed to your child’s victimization. For example, a school, religious institution, daycare, or summer camp may have failed to recognize signs of abuse or to implement protocols to keep kids in their care safe. They may not have completed thorough background checks on workers.
A personal injury attorney can lead this fight for justice, but knowing how to find a good lawyer is the first step. Look for attorneys with high ratings and ties to the community. Review client testimonials to get a sense of the firm’s character and how they treat clients. For child sexual abuse cases, you want a team that fights aggressively, but treats you and your child, especially, with compassion and respect.
Holding Abusers Accountable Supports Recovery for Your Child and Other Victims
According to the National Statistics on Child Abuse from the National Children’s Alliance, 1 in 4 girls and 1 in 13 boys in the U.S. experience sexual abuse. Demanding accountability from an abuser can support your child’s healing and send a message to other survivors that they are not alone.
Securing compensation from the abuser or other liable parties cannot erase your child’s experience. It can help them feel empowered. It can help them see that their pain matters and has value. An attorney can assess the losses associated with your child’s experience and seek compensation or acknowledgement of:
- Medical expenses
- Costs for counseling
- Future care needs
- Other abuse-related losses incurred or anticipated
- Emotional suffering
- Damage to relationships and quality of life
An experienced attorney knows how pain and suffering damages are calculated in Nevada and can fight for maximum acknowledgment of what your child has endured.
You May Not Need to Go to Trial
Personal injury claims can be resolved through settlements or verdicts. The difference is that settlements are reached through negotiations, and verdicts are obtained through a trial. Our attorneys first seek compensation through negotiations with the liable party’s representatives. Trials only become necessary when the other side refuses to negotiate in good faith or make reasonable settlement offers.
Parents Should Know That We Are Here for Them and Their Children
The team at H&P Law comprises experienced personal injury lawyers who care. We care about clients and are committed to fighting injustice.
We want parents to know that if their child has been sexually abused, the family can count on us for support, guidance, and effective legal representation. Connect with us for a free case review. We are ready to listen and ready to help.
