Understanding sexual violence: Tips for parents & caregivers Sexual violence is a widespread issue that impacts everyone. This fact sheet provides information about how parents and caregivers can play a role in preventing sexual violence and supporting survivors. Together we can create safe and respectful communities. What is sexual violence? Sexual violence is a broad term and includes rape, incest, child sexual abuse, intimate partner violence, sexual exploitation, human traf?cking, unwanted sexual contact, sexual harassment, exposure, and voyeurism. Sexual violence occurs when someone is forced or manipulated into unwanted sexual activity without their consent. Reasons someone might not consent include fear, age, illness, disability, and/or in?uence of alcohol or other drugs. Anyone can experience sexual violence, including children, teens, adults, and elders. These crimes are widespread and occur daily in our communities, schools, and workplaces, but sexual violence can be prevented. Community members can work to prevent sexual violence by establishing healthy and positive relationships that are based on respect, safety, and equality. Sexual violence at a glance • One in six boys and one in four girls will experience a sexual assault before the age 18 (Dube et al., 2005). • One in ?ve women and one in 71 men will be raped at some point in their lives (Black et al., 2011). • A majority of women who reported being raped at some point in their life (79.6%) experienced their ?rst rape before the age of 25, and 42.2% experienced their ?rst completed rape before the age of 18 years (Black et al., 2011). • More than 25% of male victims in a national sample reported their ?rst rape was when they were 10 years of age or younger (Black et al., 2011). • Rape is far more extensive than reported in of?cial statistics, and the majority of rapists are never apprehended (Carr & VanDeusen, 2004). Your role in prevention You can play a role in changing the underlying norms and culture that allows sexual violence. Traditional gender roles, power imbalances, and victim-blaming all contribute to sexual violence. Be a part of the solution: • Be a role model for respectful behavior to those around you. • Talk with your children about healthy sexual development and personal boundaries. • Intervene and speak up when you see inappropriate behavior. To better equip yourself in these situations, practice what you might say or do. • Talk to someone from your local sexual assault center for more information. Invite them to speak in your schools, faith communities or workplaces. • Learn more about sexual violence and share information with others. • Know how to report suspected child abuse. Take action if you or someone you know suspects a child may be being abused. How you can help Parents and caregivers are uniquely positioned to assist children and teens experiencing sexual violence, as they often see the warning signs — sudden changes in behavior or mood, lower grades, social withdrawal — before others. Children and teens may turn to you to discuss what is happening. All adults are responsible for keeping children safe and protecting them from harm. If you suspect a child is being abused, contact the police or your local child protective services agency, the ChildHelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-CHILD (1-800-422-4453), or local sexual violence program. How to offer support Survivors of sexual violence have experienced trauma, and each person reacts differently to trauma. Some disclose immediately, but many never talk about what happened to them, or wait years to talk about it. When someone discloses sexual abuse, appreciate their resilience, strength, and bravery. Be mindful of your own response: • Create a safe space for the child or teen to talk and share. Allow them control over the environment as much as possible. • Listen and allow them to share the amount of information that they are comfortable sharing. If a survivor wants to share with you allow them to do so in their own way, in their own words and in their own time. • Believe them. Survivors often struggle with disclosing abuse because they fear they won’t be believed. It takes immense bravery for them to trust you and share the details of their story. • Be open and honest about your responsibilities. Children and teens have a right to be safe, valued and respected. Connect them with community resources or trained professionals to provide continued support. Resources ChildHelp National Child Abuse Hotline: 1-800-4-A-CHILD (1-800-422-4453) www.childhelp.org National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC): www.nsvrc.org Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network (RAINN): www.rainn.org Stop It Now!: www.stopitnow.org/ References Black, M. C., Breiding, M. J., Smith, S. G., Walters, M. L., Merrick, M. T., Chen, J., & Stevens, M. R. (2011). National intimate partner and sexual violence survey: 2010 summary report. Retrieved from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control: http://www.cdc.gov/ ViolencePrevention/pdf/NISVS_Report2010-a.pdf Carr, J., & VanDeusen, K. (2004). Risk factors for male sexual aggression on college campuses. Journal of Family Violence, 19, 279-289. doi:10.1023/B:JOFV.0000042078.55308.4d Dube, S. R., Anda, R. F., Whit?eld, C.L., Brown, D. L., Felitti, V. J., Dong, M., & Giles, W. H. (2005). Long-term consequences of childhood sexual abuse by gender of victim. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 28, 430–438. doi:10.1016/ j.amepre.2005.01.015