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SUSAN JOHNSTON OWEN-JAZZ / SITE OWNER/MUSICIAN, WRITER,ARTIST, ELEMENTARY AND SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHER (RETIRED)
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APPROXIMATELY 5 CHILDREN A DAY DIE FROM ABUSE- CAN YOU IGNORE IT?
Three-quarters (72%) of sexually abused children did not tell anyone about the abuse at the time. 27% told someone later.Around a third (31%) still had not told anyone about their experienc
Approximately 5 children die every day because of child abuse.
1 out of 3 girls and 1 out of 5 boys will be sexually abused before they reach age 18.
90 percent of child sexual abuse victims know the perpetrator in some way. 68 percent are abused by a family member.
Most children become victims of abuse and neglect at 18 months or younger.
In 2010, 1,537 children died of abuse or neglect.
79.4 percent were under the age of 4.
47.7 percent were under the age of 1.
Boys (48.5 percent) and girls (51.2 percent) become victims at nearly the same rate.
3.6
million cases of child abuse are reported every year in the U.S. And
the number of children involved in these reports is 6 million.
Abused and neglected children are 11 times more likely to engage in criminal behavior as an adult.
About 80 percent of 21-year-olds who were abused as children met criteria for at least one psychological disorder.
14 percent of all men and 36 percent of all women in prison were abused as children.
Abused
children are less likely to practice safe sex, putting them at greater
risk for STDs. They’re also 25 percent more likely to experience teen
pregnancy.
original link was mmoved
What Are the Effects of Child Sexual Abuse?
The effects of sexual abuse extend far beyond childhood. Sexual abuse
robs children of their childhood and creates a loss of trust, feelings
of guilt and self-abusive behavior. It can lead to antisocial behavior,
depression, identity confusion, loss of selfesteem and other serious
emotional problems. It can also lead to difficulty with intimate
relationships later in life. The sexual victimization of children is
ethically and morally wrong.
Proving Sexual Abuse
When sexual abuse occurs the child victim may be the only witness and
the child’s statements may be the only evidence. In such cases, the
central issue sometimes becomes whether the child’s statements can be
trusted. Some child welfare experts feel that children never lie about
sexual abuse and that their statements must always be believed.
According to Douglas Besharov in The Future of Children (1994),
“Potential reporters are not expected to determine the truth of a
child’s statements. As a general rule, therefore, all doubts should be
resolved in favor of making a report.” He continues, “A child who
describes being sexually abused should be reported unless there is clear
reason to disbelieve the statement.”
Child sexual abuse cases can be very difficult to prove largely
because cases where definitive, objective evidence exists are the
exception rather than the rule. The first indicators of sexual abuse may
not be physical, but rather behavioral changes or abnormalities.
Unfortunately, because it can be so difficult to accept that sexual
abuse may be occurring,the adult may misinterpret the signals and feel
that the child is merely being disobedient or insolent.
The reaction to the disclosure of abuse then becomes disbelief and rejection of the child’s statements.
Sexual abuse is usually discovered in one of two ways:
Direct disclosure (e.g., the victim, victim’s family member or parent seeking help makes a statement)
Indirect methods (e.g., someone witnesses the abuse to the child,
the child contracts a sexually transmitted disease or the child becomes
pregnant)
Sometimes the child may be so traumatized by sexual abuse that years
pass before he or she is able to understand or talk about what happened.
In these cases, adult survivors of sexual abuse may come forward for
the first time in their 40s or 50s and divulge the horror of their
experiences.
What Should You Look for If You Suspect Sexual Abuse?
Children who are sexually abused may exhibit behavioral changes, based on their age.
Children up to age 3 may exhibit:
Fear or excessive crying
Vomiting
Feeding problems
Bowel problems
Sleep disturbances
Failure to thrive
Children ages 2 to 9 may exhibit:
Fear of particular people, places or activities
Regression to earlier behaviors such as bed wetting or stranger anxiety
Victimization of others
Excessive masturbation
Feelings of shame or guilt
Nightmares or sleep disturbances
Withdrawal from family or friends
Fear of attack recurring
Eating disturbances
Symptoms of sexual abuse in older children and adolescents include:
Depression
Nightmares or sleep disturbances
Poor school performance
Promiscuity
Substance abuse
Aggression
Running away from home
Fear of attack recurring
Eating disturbances
Early pregnancy or marriage
Suicidal gestures
Anger about being forced into situation beyond one’s control
Pseudo-mature behaviors
What Can You Do?
Protect your children. Teach your children what
appropriate sexual behavior is and when to say “no” if someone tries to
touch sexual parts of their bodies or touch them in any way that makes
them feel uncomfortable. Also, observe your children when they interact
with others to see if they are hesitant or particularly uncomfortable
around certain adults. It is critical to provide adequate supervision
for your children and only leave them in the care of individuals whom
you deem safe.
Support child abuse victims. Children need to know
that they can speak openly to a trusted adult and that they will be
believed. Children who are victims of sexual abuse should always be
reassured that they are not responsible for what has happened to them.
Offer encouragement for victims by supporting organizations that help
victims of incest or by simply reassuring victims of sexual abuse that
they should not feel shame or guilt. It is important to understand that
troubled families can be helped and that everyone can play a part in the
process.
Teach others about child abuse. Help make others
aware of sexual abuse by arranging for knowledgeable guest speakers to
present to your organizations or groups. Encourage your local school
board to establish programs to educate both teachers and students about
the problem.
Report, report, report. If you suspect sexual abuse
and believe a child to be in imminent danger, report it to the local
child protective services agency (often called “social services” or
“human services”) in your county or state. Professionals who work with
children are required by law to report reasonable suspicion of abuse or
neglect. Furthermore, in 20 states, citizens who suspect abuse or
neglect are required to report it. “Reasonable suspicion” based on
objective evidence, which could be firsthand observation or statements
made by a parent or child, is all that is needed to report. Remember
that you may be the only person in a position to help a child who is
being sexually abused.
An estimated 1.2 million children are trafficked worldwide every year.
An estimated 300 million
children worldwide are subjected to violence, exploitation and abuse,
including the worst forms of child labor in communities, schools and
institutions.
Children living in
areas of extreme economic hardship and social disruption are at
increased risk for abuse, violence, and exploitation.
About 1.5 billion children live in the 42 countries affected by violent conflict between 2002 and 2006. Of 14.2 million refuges worldwide, 41 percent may be children under the age of 18.
Worldwide, an estimated 40 million children under the age of 15 suffer from violence, abuse and neglect.
An estimated 1.2 million
children - both boys and girls - are trafficked each year into
exploitative work, including mining, factories, armed conflict or
commercial sex work.
Child Sexual Abuse ~ Disclosures
Among victims of sexual abuse, the inability to trust is pronounced, which also contributes to secrecy and non-disclosure. Source: Courtois & Watts, 1982.
Children
often fail to report because of the fear that disclosure will bring
consequences even worse than being victimized again. The victim may
fear consequences from the family, feel guilty for consequences to the
perpetrator, and may fear subsequent retaliatory actions from the
perpetrator. Sources: Berlinger & Barbieri, 1984; Groth, 1979; Swanson & Biaggio, 1985.
Victims may be embarrassed or reluctant to answer questions about the sexual activity. Source: Berlinger & Barbieri, 1984.
Victims may also have a feeling that "something is wrong with me," and that the abuse is their fault. Sources: Johnson, 1987; Tsai & Wagner, l978.
In
addition to "sexual guilt," there are several other types of guilt
associated with the abuse, which include feeling different from peers,
harboring vengeful and angry feelings toward both parents, feeling
responsible for the abuse, feeling guilty about reporting the abuse, and
bringing disloyalty and disruption to the family . Any of these
feelings of guilt could outweigh the decision of the victim to report,
the result of which is the secret may remain intact and undisclosed. Source: Courtois & Watts, 1982; Tsai & Wagner, l978.
A
child's initial denial of sexual abuse should not be the sole basis of
reassurance that abuse did not occur. Virtually all investigative
protocols are designed to respond to only those children who have
disclosed. Policies and procedures that are geared only to those
children who have disclosed fail to recognize the needs of the majority
of victims. Source: Sorensen & Snow, 1991.
Study
of 630 cases of alleged sexual abuse of children from 1985 through
1989: Using a subset of 116 confirmed cases, findings indicated that 79
percent of the children of the study initially denied abuse or were
tentative in disclosing. Of those who did disclose, approximately
three-quarters disclosed accidentally. Additionally, of those who did
disclose, 22 percent eventually recanted their statements. Source: Sorensen & Snow, 1991.
Young victims may not recognize their victimization as sexual abuse. Source: Gilbert, l988.
An estimated 1.2 million children are trafficked worldwide every year.
An estimated 300 million
children worldwide are subjected to violence, exploitation and abuse,
including the worst forms of child labor in communities, schools and
institutions.
Children living in
areas of extreme economic hardship and social disruption are at
increased risk for abuse, violence, and exploitation.
About 1.5 billion children live in the 42 countries affected by violent conflict between 2002 and 2006. Of 14.2 million refuges worldwide, 41 percent may be children under the age of 18.
Worldwide, an estimated 40 million children under the age of 15 suffer from violence, abuse and neglect.
An estimated 1.2 million
children - both boys and girls - are trafficked each year into
exploitative work, including mining, factories, armed conflict or
commercial sex work.
There
is the clinical assumption that children who feel compelled to keep
sexual abuse a secret suffer greater psychic distress than victims who
disclose the secret and receive assistance and support. Source: Finkelhor & Browne, 1986.
Early
identification of sexual abuse victims appears to be crucial to the
reduction of suffering of abused youth and to the establishment of
support systems for assistance in pursuing appropriate psychological
development and healthier adult functioning . As long as disclosure
continues to be a problem for young victims, then fear, suffering, and
psychological distress will, like the secret, remain with the victim. Sources: Bagley, 1992; Bagley, 1991; Finkelhor et al. 1990; Whitlock & Gillman, 1989.>
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Child Sexual Abuse ~ Allegations
In
a twelve state study of approximately 9000 divorces cases, child sexual
abuse allegations were made in less than 2% of contested divorces
involving child custody. Source: Association of Family Conciliation Courts, 1990.
Reported cases of child sexual abuse reached epidemic proportions, with a reported 322 percent increase from 1980 to 1990. Source: Sorensen & Snow, 1991.
Bruises, burns, and broken bones are more easily identified as child abuse than is sexual assault. Source: Farrell, 1988.
This crime must usually be proven without corroboration or physical evidence. Source: Janssen, 1984.
A study conducted at Children's Hospital Medical Center of Cincinnati (Amy Arszman
Daso and Robert Shapiro, M.D) indicates that child sexual abuse allegations should
be taken seriously and found children's testimony more reliable than physical exams
in cases of sexual abuse.
The researchers reviewed the records of 31 pedophiles who confessed
between 1994 and 1999. The 31 perpetrators confessed to a total of 101
acts of sexual abuse, some of which they committed multiple times. The
perpetrators abused 47 children. The 45 old enough to provide a history
described 111 acts of sexual abuse.
"Physical exams are an unreliable indicator of sexual abuse," says Dr.
Shapiro. "We're not saying that children never make things up, but the
responsible reaction is to listen carefully to allegations of abuse so
that abused children will be identified and false allegations recognized." (May 2000) Contact: Jim Feuer (EMail: jfeuer@chmcc.org),
Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, 513-636-4420
source-Tumbler
Child Abuse & Child Sexual Abuse ~ Substantiated
Composition of substantiated child abuse in 2000:
879,000 children were victims of child maltreatment.
Neglect ~ 63%
Physical ~ 19%
Sexual ~ 10%
Psychological ~ 8%
Victimization rates declined as age increased.
Rate of victimization per 1,000 children of the same age group:
Birth to 3 years old = 15.7 victims per 1,000.
Ages 16 and 17 = 5.7 victims per 1,000.
Except for victims of sexual abuse, rates
were similar for male and female victimization:
11.2 and 12.8 per 1,000 children respectively.
Rate of sexual abuse by gender:
1.7 victims per 1,000 female children
0.4 victims per 1,000 male children.
Rate of child abuse by race:
White = 51%
African American = 25%
Hispanic = 15%
American Indian/Alaska Natives = 2%
Asian/Pacific Islanders = 1%
The comparative annual rate of child victims:
decreased steadily from 15.3 victims per 1,000 children in 1993
to 11.8 victims per 1,000 children in 1999;
then increased to 12.2 per 1,000 children in 2000.
Whether this is a trend cannot be determined until additional data are collected.
An
average of 5.5 children per 10,000 enrolled in day care are sexually
abused, an average of 8.9 children out of every 10,000 are abused in the
home Source: Finkelhor & Williams, 1988.
In
the adult retrosptective study, victimization was reported by 27
percent of the women and 16 percent of the men. The median age for the
occurrence of reported abuse was 9.9 for boys and 9.6 for girls.
Victimization occurred before age eight for 22 percent of boys and for
23 percent of girls. Most of the abuse of both boys and girls was by
offenders 10 or more years older than their victims. Girls were more
likely than boys to disclose the abuse. Forty-two percent of the women
and thirty-three percent of the men reported never having disclosed the
experience to anyone. Source: Finkelhor et al., 1990.
"WHEN
SEXUALLY abused boys are not treated, society must later deal with the
resulting problems, including crime, suicide, drug use and more sexual
abuse, said the study’s author, Dr. William C. Holmes of the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine." [snip] "The
earlier studies found that one-third of juvenile delinquents, 40
percent of sexual offenders and 76 percent of serial rapists report they
were sexually abused as youngsters." [snip] "The suicide rate among
sexually abused boys was 1½ to 14 times higher, and reports of multiple
substance abuse among sixth-grade boys who were molested was 12 to 40
times greater." [snip] "Holmes said a review of the studies leads him
to believe 10 percent to 20 percent of all boys are sexually abused in
some way. But widely varying definitions of sexual abuse in the studies
and differences in who was being studied make it difficult to accurately
gauge the prevalence of sexual abuse, he said." Full Story at MSNBC News, Dec 1998 (Note: may be archived).
Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS):
1. Sexual assault of young children as reported to law enforcement:
Victim, incident, and offender characteristics (Acrobat PDF or ASCII text).
2. National Incident-Based Reporting System
(NIBRS), ~ regarding sexual assault, especially of young children;
based on reports from law enforcement agencies of 21 States and covering
the years 1991 through 2002 (or, use the BJS search to find these documents).
The July 2000 NIBRS report presents sexual assault in 4 categories:
Forcible rape,
Forcible sodomy,
Sexual assault with an object, and
Forcible fondling.
Findings include statistics on the incidence of sexual assault, the victims,
their offenders, gender, response to these crimes, locality, time of
incident, the levels of victim injury, victims' perceptions of offenders'
ages, and victim-offender relationships, and other detailed characteristics.
Highlights from 2000 include the following as reported to law enforcement:
67% of victims of sexual assault were juveniles (under age 18);
34% of sexual assault victims were under age 12;
1 of every 7 victims of sexual assault were under age 6;
40% of offenders who victimized children under age 6 were
juveniles (under age 18). Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS)
NOTE:
For information on the investigation and forensic psychology aspects
of child sexual victimization, Dr. Suzanne Sgroi is an excellent
resource (Law Enforcement And Child Abuse, by Sgroi and co-authored by
law enforcement officer, Patricia Graves).
Excerpt from Sgroi's book review: "Helping sexually abused children
depends on the combined efforts of law enforcement, medical, social
service, and prosecution personnel. It is essential for those in each
field to recognize and understand the others' responsibilities in
dealing with child sexual abuse. Only then can we learn how best to help
each other to help the victims and their families. As experience,
research, and learning advance. It becomes increasingly clear that the
police officer -- and indeed the entire criminal justice system -- are
an integral part of identifying the problem, protecting the victim, and
remedying the situation."
Impact of Child Sexual Abuse
It is estimated that there are 60 million survivors of childhood sexual abuse in America today. Source: Forward, 1993.
Approximately 31% of women in prison state that they had been abused as children. Source: United States Department of Justice, 1991.
Approximately 95% of teenage prostitutes have been sexually abused. Source: CCPCA, 1992.
It
is estimated that children with disabilities are 4 to 10 times more
vulnerable to sexual abuse than their non-disabled peers. Source: National Resource Center on Child Sexual Abuse, 1992.
Long
term effects of child abuse include fear, anxiety, depression, anger,
hostility, inappropriate sexual behavior, poor self esteem, tendency
toward substance abuse and difficulty with close relationships. Source: Browne & Finkelhor, 1986.
Clinical
findings of adult victims of sexual abuse include problems in
interpersonal relationships associated with an underlying mistrust.
Generally, adult victims of incest have a severely strained
relationship with their parents that is marked by feelings of mistrust,
fear, ambivalence, hatred, and betrayal. These feelings may extend to
all family members. Source: Tsai and Wagner, 1978.
Guilt
is universally experienced by almost all victims. Courtois and Watts
described the "sexual guilt" as "guilt derived from sexual pleasure" Source: Tsai and Wagner, l978.
Sexuality
is regarded not simply as a part of the self limited to genitals,
discrete behaviors, or biological aspects of reproduction, but is more
properly understood as one component of the total personality that
affects one's concept of personal identity and self-esteem. Source: Whitlock & Gillman, 1989.
Sexual
victimization may profoundly interfere with and alter the development
of attitudes toward self, sexuality, and trusting relationships during
the critical early years of development. Source: Tsai & Wagner, 1984.
If the child victim does not resolve the trauma, sexuality may become an area of adult conflict. Source: Courtois & Watts, 1982; Tsai & Wagner, 1984.
There
is the clinical assumption that children who feel compelled to keep
sexual abuse a secret suffer greater psychic distress than victims who
disclose the secret and receive assistance and support. Source: Finkelhor & Browne, 1986.
Early
identification of sexual abuse victims appears to be crucial to the
reduction of suffering of abused youth and to the establishment of
support systems for assistance in pursuing appropriate psychological
development and healthier adult functioning . As long as disclosure
continues to be a problem for young victims, then fear, suffering, and
psychological distress will, like the secret, remain with the victim. Sources: Bagley, 1992; Bagley, 1991; Finkelhor et al. 1990; Whitlock & Gillman, 1989.
Adolescents with a history of sexual abuse are significantly more
likely than their counterparts to engage in sexual behavior that puts
them at risk for HIV infection, according to Dr. Larry K. Brown and
associates, from Rhode Island Hospital, in Providence. See Medscape
Adolescents with a history of
sexual abuse are significantly more likely than their counterparts to
engage in sexual behavior that puts them at risk for HIV infection,
according to Dr. Larry K. Brown and associates, from Rhode Island
Hospital, in Providence.
Inconsistent condom use was three times more likely among youths who had
been sexually abused than among the 55 who had not. A history of sexual
abuse was also significantly associated with less impulse control and
higher rates of sexually transmitted diseases.
According to Dr. Brown, "These results suggest two things. Abused kids
need adequate counseling around abuse issues. A lot of these kids keep
re-experiencing the anxiety and trauma for years." The second issue, he
said, is that "most therapy does not address current sexual behavior"
and the anxieties that sexually abused adolescents experience. Source: Larry K. Brown, M.D., et al, American Journal of Psychiatry 2000;157:1413-1415.
Young girls who are forced to have sex are three
times more likely to develop psychiatric disorders or abuse alcohol and drugs
in adulthood, than girls who are not sexually abused.
Sexual abuse was also more strongly linked with substance abuse than with
psychiatric disorders. It was also suggested that sexual abuse may lead some
girls to become sexually active at an earlier age and seek out older boyfriends
who might, in turn, introduce them to drugs.
Psychiatric disorders were from 2.6 to 3.3 times more common among women
whose CSA included intercourse, and the risk of substance abuse was
increased more than fourfold, according to the results.
Family factors -- parental education, parenting behavior, family
financial status, church attendance -- had little impact on the
prevalence of psychiatric or substance abuse disorders among these
women, the investigators observe. Similarly, parental psychopathology
did not predict the association between CSA and later psychopathology. Source: Kenneth S. Kendler, M.D., et al, Medical College of Virginia
Commonwealth University, Archives of General Psychiatry 2000;57:953-959.
Also see review at Medscape
Among both adolescent girls and
boys, a history of sexual or physical abuse appears to increase the risk
of disordered eating behaviors, such as self-induced vomiting or use of
laxatives to avoid gaining weight.
Among those at increased risk for disordered eating were respondents who
had experienced sexual or physical abuse and those who gave low ratings
to family communication, parental caring and parental expectations.
In light of these findings, the researchers conclude that "strong
familial relationships may decrease the risk for disordered eating among
youth reporting abuse experiences." Source: Dr. Dianne Neumark-Sztainer, et al, University of Minneapolis,
International Journal of Eating Disorders 2000;28:249-258.
Young
girls who are sexually abused are more likely to develop eating
disorders as adolescents.
The findings also add to a growing body of research suggesting that
trauma in childhood increases the risk of developing an eating disorder.
Abused girls were more dissatisfied with their weight and more likely
to diet and purge their food by vomiting or using laxatives and
diuretics.
Abused girls were also more likely to restrict their eating when they
were bored or emotionally upset.
Wonderlich suggests that abused girls might experience higher levels of
emotional distress, possibly linked to their abuse, and have trouble
coping. Food restriction and perhaps other eating disorder behaviors
may (reflect) efforts to cope with such experiences.
The report also indicates that while girls who were abused were less
likely to exhibit perfectionist tendencies (such as making extreme
efforts to avoid disappointing others and a need to be 'the best'), they
tended to want thinner bodies than girls who had not been abused. Source: Stephen A. Wonderlich, M.D., et al, University of North
Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences in Fargo, Journal of the
American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry 2000;391277-1283.
US Healthcare system missing most mentally ill children and adolescents.
More than 7 out of 10 American adolescents with mental health problems
are getting no care, according to data released today at the Surgeon
General's Conference on Children's Mental Health. See Medscape
Victims of Childhood Sexual Abuse Later Criminal Consequences
Discussed in the Brief: Previous research established evidence for a
cycle of violence: people who were abused and neglected in childhood are
more likely than those who were not to become involved in criminal
behavior, including violent crime, later in life. This Research in
Brief, the second in a series on the cycle of violence, examines the
criminal consequences in adulthood of a particular type of childhood
victimization: sexual abuse. It traces the same individuals studied
initially, using official records of arrest and juvenile detention.
Sexual and Other Abuse
May Alter a Brain Region
"Many women and men who have been subjected to severe physical or sexual
abuse during childhood suffer from long-term disturbances of the
psyche. They may be invaded by nightmares and flashbacks -- much like
survivors of war -- or, conversely, may freeze into benumbed calm in
situations of extreme stress. Two recent studies find that survivors of
child abuse may also have a smaller hippocampus relative to control
subjects. If substantiated, the discovery could fill out the profile of
an abuse survivor and help define what constitutes abuse."
"Changes in the hippocampus--the part of the brain that deals with
short-term memory and possibly the encoding and retrieval of long-term
memory--could, researchers suggest, be wrought by hormones flooding the
brain during and after a stressful episode."
"Dissociation and PTSD are not sharply separated and often alternate in
the same individual. Dissociation, often employed by children who cannot
escape from the threat of abuse, is a means of mentally withdrawing
from a horrific situation by separating it from conscious awareness. The
skill allows the victim to feel detached from the body or self, as if
what is happening is not happening to her or him."
"David W. Foy of Pepperdine University notes that within days or weeks
of a traumatic experience, therapy seems beneficial in dispelling PTSD.
This period, Bremner speculates, could reflect the timescale over which
the hippocampus organizes experiences into a person's worldview.
Although some functions of the hippocampus are known, its mechanics are
poorly understood."
"Psychiatrists contend that if repeatedly invoked in childhood,
dissociation prevents memories from being integrated into consciousness
and can lead to an altered sense of self. Many normal children play with
imaginary companions; abused children can use such creative resources
to a pathological extent, in extreme cases falling prey to multiple
personality disorder (MPD). Adults may continue to use dissociation as a
coping mechanism. Once dissociation or PTSD develops, the majority of
psychological symptoms and the hormonal profile are very resistant to
treatment."
The typical child sex offender molests an average of 117 children, most of who do not report the offence. Source: National Institute of Mental Health, 1988.
About 60% of the male survivors sampled report at least one of their perpetrators to be female. Source: Mendel, 1993.
About 95% of victims know their perpetrators. Source: CCPCA, 1992.
It
is estimated that approximately 71% of child sex offenders are under 35
and knew the victim at least casually. About 80% of these individuals
fall within normal intelligence ranges; 59% gain sexual access to their
victims through, seduction or enticement. Source: Burgess & Groth, 1984.
What is the National Sexual Assault Online Hotline? The
National Sexual Assault Online Hotline is a free, confidential, secure
service that provides live help over the RAINN website.
Who should use the Online Hotline?
Victims of sexual assault (whether their attack took place today or decades ago)
Spouses, family members, and partners of victims
Friends of victims
What services does the Online Hotline provide?
Crisis intervention and support
Answers to your questions about recovering from sexual assault
Information about medical issues
Explanations of the criminal justice system, and what to expect when you report the crime to the police
Referrals to resources in your area
Information for family and friends of victims
How does it work? It
works just like instant messaging. You'll go into a private session
with a trained volunteer and communicate, live, by typing messages back
and forth. The service is completely anonymous, and you do not have to
give your name or any personal information.
Who provides the help? Online
Hotline services are provided by RAINN and local rape crisis centers
across the US, with the help of hundreds of trained volunteers. All
trained volunteers have successfully completed state-mandated training
and receive ongoing supervision from their local center. Online Hotline
supervisors monitor sessions for quality control.
Does the Online Hotline provide ongoing help? The
Online Hotline provides immediate crisis help and information about
recovery and prosecution. If you need ongoing help, your trained
volunteer will connect you to your local rape crisis center, which
provides free individual and group support sessions and other services.
You can always reach your local rape crisis center directly by calling
the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1.800.656.HOPE.
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