Dealing With Child Sex Predators

What should you do if you suspect someone is preying on your child, or to prevent abuse?

- Chris Hart

The sexual abuse of children is hard to think about. It can involve inappropriate messages, phone calls or conversations, the taking of sexual photos or watching sexual acts. Even with a child’s agreement, this is abuse because a child can’t legally consent those kind of activities. Somewhere on the edges of all these, is the ‘sexting’of nude photos by teens.

Although global figures vary widely because collecting data is difficult, they indicate that up to 25% of girls are sexually abused in some way before the age of 18, and boys around 16% - though that’s probably an underestimate because boys avoid reporting abuse. Higher figures have been reported in Kenya: 18% of males and 32% of females. An NGO has reported that 25% of high school girls are abused ANNUALLY in informal settlements!

Findings also indicate that only about 10% of abusers are strangers and about 30% are relatives. Around 40% are underage perpetrators that include older siblings and playmates who may not realise that they are doing anything wrong. Sixty per cent of them are known to the child but are not related and they include friends, babysitters, carers, neighbours, teachers, coaches, clergy, the parents of other children.

How much should you worry?

Campaigners give the impression that there’s a paedophile on every street corner, and that things are getting worse but the reality is that the numbers have fallen over the years. It’s increased reporting that suggests the opposite.

So what should you do?

You can’t be with your children all time, but it’s still possible to completely prevent abuse by managing hazards and gradually teaching your children how to manage them for themselves, so that they remain safe as they become increasingly independent.