Child Sexual Abuse Includes Touching and Non-Touching Behaviors

• Touching a child's genitals (penis, testicles, vulva, breasts, or anus) for sexual pleasure or other unnecessary reason.
  
• Making a child touch someone else's genitals, or playing sexual ("pants-down") games.
  
• Putting objects or body parts (like fingers, tongue or a penis) inside the vulva or vagina, in the mouth, or in the anus of a child for sexual pleasure or other unnecessary reason.
  

• Showing pornography to a child.
  
• Exposing a person's genitals to a child.
  
• Photographing a child in sexual poses.
  
• Encouraging a child to watch or hear sexual acts either in person or on a video.
  
• Watching a child undress or use the bathroom, often without the child's knowledge (known as voyeurism or being a "Peeping Tom").
  

Behavioral Warning Signs A Child May Have Been Abused

• Nightmares, trouble sleeping, fear of the dark, or other sleeping problems.
  
• Extreme fear of "monsters".
  
• Spacing out at odd times.
  
• Loss of appetite, or trouble eating or swallowing.
  
• Sudden mood swings: rage, fear, anger, or withdrawal.
  
• Fear of certain people or places (e.g., a child may not want to be left alone with a baby-sitter, a friend, a relative, or some other child or adult; or a child who is usually talkative and cheery may become quiet and distant when around a certain person).
  
• Stomach illness all of the time with no identifiable reason.
  
• An older child behaving like a younger child, such as bed-wetting or thumb sucking.
  
• Sexual activities with toys or other children, such as simulating sex with dolls or asking other children/siblings to behave sexually.
  
• New words for private body parts.
  
• Refusing to talk about a "secret" he/she has with an adult or older child.
  
• Talking about a new older friend.
  
• Suddenly having money.
  
• Cutting or burning herself or himself as an adolescent.
  

Physical Warning Signs A Child May Have Been Abused

• Unexplained bruises, redness, or bleeding of the child's genitals, anus, or mouth?
  
• Pain at the genitals, anus, or mouth?
  
• Genital sores or milky fluids in the genital area?
  

Healthy Sexuality In Children

What To Watch Out For When Adults Are With Children

• Refuses to let a child set any of his or her own limits?
  
• Insists on hugging, touching, kissing, tickling, wrestling with or holding a child even when the child does not want this affection?
  
• Is overly interested in the sexuality of a particular child or teen (e.g., talks repeatedly about the child's developing body or interferes with normal teen dating)?
  
• Manages to get time alone or insists on time alone with a child with no interruptions?
  
• Spends most of his/her spare time with children and has little interest in spending time with someone their own age?
  
• Regularly offers to babysit many different children for free or takes children on overnight outings alone?
  
• Buys children expensive gifts or gives them money for no apparent reason?
  
• Frequently walks in on children/teens in the bathroom?
  
• Allows children or teens to consistently get away with inappropriate behaviors?
  

Alert Signals For An Adult With Sexual Behavior Problems

• Talks again and again about the sexual activities of children or teens?
  
• Masturbates a lot or takes breaks from other activities to go masturbate?
  
• Talks about sexual fantasies with children and is not clear about what's okay with children?
  
• Was abused as a child and won't deal with it?
  
• Encourages silence and secrets in a child?
  
• Looks at child pornography?
  
• Asks adult partners to dress or act like a child or teen during sexual activity?
  
• Often has a "special" child friend, maybe a different one from year to year?
  
• Spends most spare time on activities involving children or teens, not adults?
  
• Makes fun of a child's body parts, calls a child sexual names such as "stud", "whore", or "slut"?