• Home/
• Prevention/
• Sexual Abuse/
• Perpetrators, Victims, and Reporting

Perpetrators, Victims, and Reporting

Adults can prevent child sexual abuse if they understand and recognize the behaviors of perpetrators and victims. It is important to intervene as soon as possible in suspected cases of child sexual abuse.

Adult Perpetrators

Approximately 90% of child sexual abuse is committed by someone the child knows. Perpetrators are often trusted people in our lives. Parents should carefully consider the people allowed access to their children and understand the signs of a potential perpetrator:

• Engages in "grooming" behaviors — giving expensive gifts and insisting on uninterrupted alone time with children
• Prefers the company of children to peers
• Refuses the privacy boundaries children to set for their own body
• Demonstrates excessive interest in the sexual activities and development of children/teens

Ultimately, there might be no signs at all. Sex offenders are also charming, upstanding, highly intelligent, and manipulative members of our communities, which is why it is important to educate children to tell about sexual abuse.

Juvenile Perpetrators

Some studies claim 30-50% of child sexual abuse is committed by juveniles (under the age of 18). Adults should be aware that older children can be the perpetrators of sexual abuse against younger children. Juveniles who show signs of abusive behavior or sexual behavior problems should get immediate help to prevent them from becoming adult offenders.

Victims

Children who were sexually abused often show no physical signs. Behavioral indicators of abuse might include:

• Fear of certain people or places
• Trouble sleeping, nightmares
• Persistent, unexplained stomach illness
• Mood swings, fear, rage, withdrawal
• Acting out sexually or having sexual knowledge beyond their age/developmental level
• Refusing to talk about a secret
• Spending time with a new older friend

Reporting

If you ever suspect a child is being sexually abused, report it! Make the child feel safe and praise him/her for telling you. You can report child sexual abuse to the Iowa Department of Human Services at 1.800.362.2178, or call the Iowa Sexual Abuse Hotline at 1.800.284.7821.