What is Child Sexual Abuse?

Imagine you are playing a game with your uncle, friend or even a stranger and they suddenly make you feel uncomfortable by touching your private parts, asking you to take off your clothes, hurting you or showing you their private area insisting that these are all part of the game. This is not okay! It is wrong and also known as child sexual abuse.

Sexual abuse can come in many forms and can happen once or many times. It is not just when a grown up or a friend touches you, it can also happen if they let other people touch you in private areas. Often the friend, family member or stranger who is trying to touch you will be very nice to you before they try and hurt you and make you feel uncomfortable. They might spend a lot of time with you and give you nice presents and get your trust. They might want to spend more time with you and help you wear your clothes, give you a bath or even put you to bed. They might show that they love you by roughly tickling you so they can touch you. They will try to tell you that you are special and that you are their favourite person in the whole world.

Once they start touching you, they might ask you to keep secrets and not tell anyone so they do not get into trouble. They may also tell you that should you tell someone else, you may get into trouble and that no one will believe you. This is not true. These are all signs that a grown up or a friend might show if they are trying to hurt you. They might be very close to your mom and dad or guardian, but no matter what, you should never feel shy or scared to tell your parents or any other adult that you trust about where this person touched you or how they approached you.