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A Village of Awareness Saves Lives

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As noted in a number of articles that I have written as well as a book (franwhiteauthor.com) and countless blogs on the topic of bullies, fatalities have continued on an epidemic level due to the absence of knowledge, immediate actions and the assessment of anti-bullying programs.

I have described a prescription for this lethal epidemic of mass shootings by victims of bullies who are displacing their rage on others. An immediate dosage of KNOWLEDGE on the description of a bully, ACTION or a prepared plan to take place immediately after the tragedy and deaths and an ASSESSMENT of the program or intervention provided to measure it’s effectiveness to cure the epidemic. I frequently use the term, “Village” which describes the educational institution, the governmental organization, the geographic location and, most of all the unit of the family.

Knowledge on the definition, behavior  and identification of a bully is crucial. Action needs to take place immediately upon a shooting not weeks later with the assignment of competent clinical personnel to treat those effected by the tragedy. In an ideal world or village, competent clinical personnel should be assigned to schools to identify those future murderous individuals and victims of the bullies within the school or “village”. Lastly, programs and personnel need to be evaluated and assessed to determine the effectiveness of anti-bully interventions and the identification of dysfunctional students.

Upon my review of our current tragedy that just occurred at Santa Fe High School, Texas, ten deaths and ten wounded could have been prevented if that school and most others had “vaccinated” their village against this fatal epidemic of bullies and dysfunctional students with dosages of KNOWLEDGE, ACTION and ASSESSMENT.

As noted by the “red flags” that so few administrators, educators as well as students were knowledgable of ,the signs that contributed to that murderous day. The absence of knowledge on bullies and emotionally dysfunctional  students was quite evident in the statements of the governor of the state of Texas, Greg Abbott, in which he declared that” the suspect had offered few clues  that he would carry out a massacre of such scale.” He acknowledged that the suspect’s Facebook page did reveal his shirt which read, BORN TO KILL. Do note the photo that accompanies this article. The governor did say that the suspect had  shared information about the shooting on both his cell phone and on his computer. Due to the fact that this student did not have a criminal record, “these red flag signs were either nonexistent or impossible.” In addition to the absence of knowledge on bullying and emotionally dysfunctional students, government officials, the school administrators and students lack the ability to identify this murderer of ten, Dimitrios. It was reported that, due to the brutal bullying of Dimitrios’s younger sister, she had to transfer to another school. He was also a victim of bullying by not only his peers but by his football coaches who stated,” He stunk, smelled like cr_p.”

Other signs that were ignored in addition to the bullying that he and his sister had to endure, Dimitrios, as reported by his peers, wore his signature trench coat and military boots in spite of the heat and humidity of Texas. He did wear this attire, including his BORN TO KILL shirt on the day of the shooting. Observant and ignorant fellow students jokingly commented that he “looked just like the Columbine shooters!” While in Junior High School, Dimitrios was an honor student , dressing appropriately but, as noted, this decline in academic performance was not noticed nor addressed  by his teachers at the High School .Authorities reported that Dimitrios wrote on his online journals about his plans to attack the school and then turn his gun on himself.

This Texas “village”, indeed, lacked the ability to take the first step in preventing the deaths of innocent students and teachers. KNOWLEDGE  on the effects of bullying  and how it impacts upon dysfunctional students who displace their rage was not imparted to students nor adults. Upon further research, there appeared to be little  ACTION in developing any prevention programs and clinical personnel to diminish the disease of  “bullism” in response to the number of other fatal outbreaks that have occurred in the country. ASSESSING any programs or clinicians within this “village” is clearly non-existent since the first step or dosage had yet to be applied to prevent this epidemic of violence and death.

I do pray that my local school will never be the site of yet another tragedy which can, indeed, be prevented by our own “villages” in saving  the lives of our children using a vaccine of KNOWLEDGE, ACTION and ASSESSMENT.

The Sounds of Racism: Charlettsville, Va. The Lyrics: “You have to be Carefully Taught to hate and fear!”

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The sounds of Racism resounds in the image above and if we add lyrics to this depiction of rage and racism, the following words from the production, SOUTH PACIFIC, could  accompany the horrific concerto that was  heard :

You’ve Got to Be Carefully Taught  as sung by Ensign Cable in his role as the conflicted lover of a young Polynesian girl in Rogers and Hammerstein’s  production of SOUTH PACIFIC;

“You’ve got to be taught to hate and fear. You’ve got to be taught from year to year.”

These very enraged people in the photo, members of the KKK and other supporters of racism have been carefully taught to hate and fear others of different races, facial features , religion  and sexual orientation. They are demonstrating a legacy passed on to them from their parents, grandparents, great grandparents and on and on in the family tree.

Racism cannot be eradicated by legislation nor the destruction of Confederate statues and monuments since these beliefs are so ingrained into the soul and collective unconscious of these racists. Only through their awareness of such destructive beliefs and the motivation ,on the part of the racist, can this cancerous, destructive and hateful legacy be finally destroyed. This is a daunting and, perhaps, an unrealistic expectation since racist are so conditioned to believe and follow the expectations of generations of their families who have rewarded their behavior with love and encouragement.

Perhaps, if some of those photographed racists would be aware of the destruction of lives impacted by their irrational behavior and subsequently take ownership of the death of that beautiful young woman in Virginia who was attempting to  peacefully change their generational  beliefs, their hate and fears. This quest to eradicate this embedded cancer of racism appears to be almost impossible since this evil has been with us since the beginning of time when human enslavement did accompany racist ideology and this identical evil  was exhibited in the concerto of rage orchestrated in Charlettesville, Virginia.

The cure for this social cancer is for each one of us to attempt to peacefully and cleverly teach, one racist at a time, one despicable  deed at a time, not to fear and hate. Yes, this is a monumental task to “unteach” generational ideology and  emotionally imbedded beliefs . We must first examine our own beliefs, words and actions that may reflect unconscious suggestions of racism inherited from our own family of origin. Next, we must target those in our social or professional circles and gently open the channels of awareness within these observed and identified racists. Change in behavior will never occur unless one is aware of that action or belief and is sincerely motivated to eradicate such offensive and destructive actions. The motivation to change that behavior which deeply offends you is dependent on the value that racist places on your friendship or professional association. Indeed, this is a daunting , overwhelming and highly time consuming task but street demonstrations and  protesting is risky and does not effectively change one racist at a time for a cumulative elimination of racism.

In my next blog, I will reveal my own actions to stem the violent, strong tides of racism and perhaps provide additional ideas to add to your arsenal in the war against racism. As my Blog is entitled, , I do want to know your feelings and reactions to thi and would appreciate hearing your voice. blog.franwhiteauthor.com

ADHD: PARENTAL CALLS FOR HELP

As noted by the numerous articles that I have written on a multitude of topics I will be devoting a significant number of articles on the topic of ADHD, a subject very close to my heart and to my family. I have been presented with so many questions, concerns and urgent requests for information and advice on the issues associated with the sweet angels of these distraught parents. It should be noted that I frequently refer to children as “angels” because they are God’s gift to all of us. It should also be noted that, as a clinician, I never refer to any learning difficulty as a “disability” but as a learning DIFFERENCE. The term disability defines such learning styles as a negative,  a handicap, a deficit not a different approach or strategy in seeing and coping with the world.

I will attempt to respond to the many topics presented to me on an abbreviated level and in future, consistent articles, provide a more comprehensive discussion of each topic. Parents have questioned the diagnosis of ADHD, the need for medication, usefulness of special diets, acquiring school support in the form of 504 programs and IEPs, early diagnosis and the predisposition for this condition.

I will be providing a more in depth definition of ADHD but the Mayo Clinic description describes this disorder as a chronic condition that affects millions of children and often continues into adulthood. This condition is exhibited by a combination of persistent problems such as difficulty sustaining attention, hyperactivity and impulsive behavior. These children also struggle with low self esteem, troubled relationships and poor performance in school. I would like to comment that this renown medical establishment does, indeed, document the existence of this condition while a few doctors believe that this condition does not really exist.  I will be responding this this conflictual view in later articles.

On the topic of school/classroom management by teachers, unfortunately so many of our teacher preparation programs of study do not provide adequate training and information on learning differences as represented by at least ten percent of the children in their classrooms. Therefore, academic interventions such as 504 and IEPs are crucial for children with learning differences. The 504 program that many parents have referred to is not a mandated learning commitment on the part of the school but it does provide a child with academic but temporary support. An IEP is a long term, legal, binding contract between the parent, school district and the federal government with consequences if the specific intervention programs are not followed. I will expand on this topic in future articles.

As noted in the Mayo Clinic definition of ADHD, this condition does persist into adulthood and , yes, there are ADHD parents as well as children. This neurological condition is a genetic predisposition and is passed on throughout generations. Early detection, observation and intervention is crucial in order to help those little angels to learn and make friends before they experience long term peer rejection and academic failure. More to come on this profound topic!

On the topic of medication, I do not advocate any specific mediation nor force parents to choose this method of intervention. However, since this is a neurological condition, only medication can address and facilitate those neurons that do not fire appropriately, the cause of ADHD. It should be considered that if a child had diabetes or epilepsy, there would be no question in the prescription of medication. It is always recommended that a healthy diet filled with fruits and veggies with minimal sweets will benefit any child but nutrition does not completely facilitate neuro-electrical brain activity. More to come on this extensive subject.

It does take a most loving, persistent and warrior parents to nurture and protect those little angels of ADHD. I must be honest and reveal that this learning and behavioral difference is not curable nor will a child ,who is accurately diagnosed, will out grow this condition. In future articles, I will provide more information, KNOWLEDGE IS POWER,( a personal motto )and supportive strategies to manage and love your angels so much more.

Please do provide your feedback and suggestions for future discussions.

 

 

Child Sex Abuse: A Hidden Epidemic? ………KNOWLEDGE IS POWER!………..

KNOWLEDGE IS POWER

As promised in my last article, CHILD SEX ABUSE: PLEASE DON’T BLAME THE VICTIM! which was widely read, I am now providing the statistics or numbers on this sexual epidemic as well as the emotional outcome to the child.  If this were a medical rather than a psychological incident, sexual abuse would be officially labeled an epidemic and people would be using masks or seeking vaccinations. The use of the term “epidemic” is not relevant  if merely one child is violated however, it is an epidemic in the eyes of the victim as well as the family.  Indeed, child sex abuse is a widespread problem with statistics of one in four girls and one in six boys who are violated sexually before the age of eighteen. It has been reported that up to 80,000 cases per year do occur in our own country.  Unfortunately, the majority of sexually violated children, only one in twenty cases, are identified and reported to law enforcement agencies. These hidden victims or children are not provided with mental health support, legal representation and bear lifelong emotional scars. These scars are exhibited as a disruption in child development and significant anxiety, depression (related to Post Traumatic Stress Depression) and future drug and alcohol addiction to anesthetize the profound pain and trauma.

When silence is exhibited by the sexually abused child, the pedophile may be someone the child trusts and admires and has difficulty perceiving that person in a negative way. The child tends to blame his or her self and could be fearful of the threatening actions of the pedophile to harm the child or the family if disclosure occurs.

This horrific violation of a child’s body and spirit provokes feelings of powerlessness in the child and precipitates a belief of having little control over the actions or outcomes. The abuse of the child in being used as a sex object to satisfy the pedophile’s psychotic needs is a casual factor in the belief of the child that he or she  is worthless, devalued and these feelings result in lifelong dysfunctions in the establishment of intimate relationships as an adult. Sexual abuse causes children to believe that this violation of their undeveloped bodies is their fault and they tend to blame themselves for this hideous crime.

Child sexual abuse not only robs children of their precious childhood but can have long term emotional effects that are evidenced when they reach adulthood such as; depression , anxiety, PTSD, eating disorders, obesity, alcohol and drug abuse, self destructive behaviors such as cutting and the probability of being sexually re-victimized as an adult.  A young victim may become withdrawn and mistrustful of adults or become overly sexualized , overly aggressive , a fixation or addiction to pornography  and finally, suicidal thoughts and behaviors. The causal factors of these dysfunctional behavior patterns is the attempt to exhibit some control over their life, self hate, anger at the world that doesn’t protect them, anesthetizing their emotional pain and escaping from the reality of sexual violation.

No child is physically and  psychologically prepared to cope with repeated premature sexual stimulation and survive without prominent and destructive outcomes. As noted in the research, even a three year old child, who barely knows that sexual activity is unnatural at that stage of development, will display  dysfunctions as a result of the inability to cope with the over stimulation.

It is hoped that these words and statistics will enlighten and provide a deeper understanding of this epidemic of child sexual violation. In my next article on this topic, I will be providing readers with research and information on intervention and prevention of child sexual abuse. Please do let me hear your voice and opinions which may also help others who could be directly or indirectly effected by this epidemic. There is no mask nor vaccination to prevent this criminal behavior inflicted on our “little angels”, only  the use of the motto,  ” Knowledge Is Power”, our only weapon to defend and protect our children.

 

 

 

 

CHILD SEX ABUSE: PLEASE DON’T BLAME . THE VICTIM .

Please do not call this beautiful, tearful victimized child a slut, a pervert or a sex object, names that fathers,  bullying classmates and others have labeled children who are the sex objects, rather than human beings, of pedophiles. I am basing this blog on a real victim of this horrific sex crime that occurs regularly and society blames the victim unless she has been bruised, bloodied and batterer by her predator. This victim was not violently attacked but “Groomed” by the pedophile, a well practiced technique to capture their prey. In my next blog, you will be provided with astounding statistics on the frequency of this crime.

What is this thing called “Grooming” ? Pedophiles will locate a site such as a school yard and observe and target his next victim based on his  innate sense of observing behavioral  clues indicating patterns of loneliness, peer rejection and, of course, sexual attractiveness and appeal. This victim, of which I speak, is an exceptionally attractive, mature,  very young teen with a warm and trusting behavioral characteristic.  During the grooming process, the pedophile will befriend his victim as well as those who surround her but keeps his “eye on the prize”, the victim.  Fake trustworthiness is developed in which he  secretly ,subtly and gradually escalates to a level of intense trust and friendship with his prey. Boundaries  are tested and risks are taken in moving in for the kill by entering her social circles such as crashing a social event amongst other befriended children. The introduction of drugs and alcohol can be another weapon in capturing his prey and provoking uninhibited behavior. It should be noted that a pedophile, who maintains the appearance so close in age to his victim and her peers, utilizes this as distinct advantage and may precipitate a romantic relationship in order to seduce this child into a new and inexperienced world of sex. A youthful, attractive photo of this particular pedophile has appeared in an earlier blog on this topic after his capture by the police. Indeed, a mature man is seducing a child with a brain that is not completely developed to understand and formulate the judgement for such actions.

In addition to the introduction of drugs and alcohol to a child, pedophiles may use pornographic materials, love messages, photos and  enticing notes for his victim. Ultimately, this perpetrator had captured his prey, introducing  sexual experiences and most of all , used his emotional weaponry , using bullets of fake love, social acceptance, compassionate understanding and ego enhancing strategies to debilitate his prey. Most children who are victims of child sex abuse are desperately  seeking the love and support that is not provided within the family. They are hungry for someone to adore them, listen to them and provide them with total attention and  ego validation that they so need but are denied. This pedophile did fulfilled all of these dreams with insincere love , sexual attention and excitement into an empty and lonely life. Now, this pedophile will go in for the kill and capture his prey, one of many that this primitive hunter has  destroyed.

This story does not end happily since the child instinctually feels the discomfort of this unnatural relationship and the pedophile uses his ultimate bullet to destroy the victim. He uses his weapons of guilt, fear and threats to “bullet proof” his crime. In this story, the victim appears to have suffered from the “Stockholm Syndrome” in which an innocent  prey tends to identify with her captor. She begins to develop strong feelings of false love and attachment and the need to obey his directives related to his self protection if ever discovered by the authorities. This perpetrator did have a history of serial sexual abuse since the prior victim was a ten year old, male family member and, hence he  understood well the consequences of being captured rather than  that of his prey.

Due to the love and support of a devoted mother ,as opposed to a father that displaced his  rage and anger on his daughter in labeling her “slut”, this child did find the courage to assist the police in locating and arresting this pedophile. She, indeed, protected potential victims from this evil demon who, as clinical research documents, will repeat his crime and hunt for yet other victims. Unfortunately, our legal system protects the perpetrator and not the victim by sentencing this criminal and rapist to under two years in prison with a lifetime of emotional imprisonment of the victim. Yes, he will be released  shortly and begin his hunting and grooming activities once again. Parents, do beware! There are thousands of demons just like this sexual hunter in your child’s world.

In my next articles on this topic, I will share with you the symptoms and suffering of children who are victims of sex abuse as well as share my research on the  statistics of this crime and, importantly, the  prevention of this horrific crime. Do share your feelings on this blog and let me hear your voice!

BULLIES: WHO ARE YOU?

Bullies exhibit a distinctive pattern of harming and humiliating others who are smaller in stature, weaker, younger or in any way more vulnerable than the bully. Bullying  is a deliberate and repeated attempt to cause harm to others with less power. Bullies are made not born and this destructive behavior happens at an early age. Bullies lack empathy and are incapable of understanding the feelings and anxiety  of others . These troubled individuals could not project their aggressive behavior without victims and they target those who lack assertiveness, are generally fearful and exhibit a poor self esteem. Child bullies continue this behavior pattern into adulthood and abuse others such as spouses, off spring and co-workers.

According to research, bullies may have been victims of abuse themselves and exhibit a low self esteem, depression and continue to suffer with mental health problems throughout their adult lives. Seventy-four  percent of bullies are males who suffer the most from emotional problems. Nearly 200,000 children engage in bullying world wide every year.

Children who bully may be victims of physical, emotional  and verbal violence or aggression in the family.  They displace their aggression toward others including adults. They assault or physically abuse peers, have trouble following rules and show little empathy for others. According to research, bullies are at risk for failing academically and becoming involved in drugs and illegal activities. In essence, bullying behavior is a “red flag” that a child has significant difficulty in controlling their aggression and has failed to master this skill.

Bullies beget bullies! It is most likely that a child who is a bully has a parental role model and has sustained abuse and emotional neglect  within the family. This child displaces to peers the aggression exhibited within the family . The absence of empathy for others is also a result of the lack of nurturing of this victim, the bully.

Can you identify someone who demonstrates these patterns of behavior? When the child bully matures conceivably, they may become the spouse and child abusers that we read about in the media. The adult bully may very well be found in your work environment and targeting victims as described above. Knowledge is Power and you must be aware of these perpetrators who can only change through mental health intervention. If this bully resides in your home wether it be a child or an adult, enabling this dangerous and destructive individual is not advised. Do seek outside intervention such as counseling or even reporting any abuse to the authorities which will ultimately help the bully to find the help that is so needed.

Do share “whatsyourfeeling” on this blog post with those that might need to hear your voice.

An Addendum to a FAMILY SECRET

Tonight is my biological sister’s 70th birthday who, on the day she was born, was abandoned by our mother and left at a London hospital, never to be taken home with this despicable and self centered parent. Susan never had a cuddly teddy or a home in which to be loved until she was placed in a foster home sometime later. Susan, as she was called, lived in England where birth files and parent information are open for review, unlike in the United States which seals such information. Susan was able to locate this heartless mother and met with her face to face and learned of her American father and the fact that she had a biological sister who was eighteen months older and as a baby was entrusted to her paternal grandparents to raise in America.

There is so much more to this tragic story and is depicted in the novel, FAMILY SECRETS: A JOURNEY OF GOOD AND EVIL written by Dr. Fran White, Susan’s sister. As noted in this novel, a portion of the title , “FAMILY SECRETS” is never completely disclosed. This family secret revolves around the true racial identity of these sisters and how their very young parents, characters effected by World War II and the London bombing and the quest to latch onto life before they might lose their lives and their future. Questions of racial identity and the cruel racist behaviors that Susan’s mother was met with as a war bride coming home with her American husband, did significantly effect the marriage of this young couple.

Susan and her sister did meet for the first time during her well endowed sister’s college years. As written in the pages of FAMILY SECRETS, this meeting resulted in a less than endearing connection between the sisters. Susan’s sibling was on an unsuccessful mission to search for the answers to her racial identity before her impending marriage and future motherhood. The sisters do reunite once later when Susan visits America and an initial meeting with her paternal grandparents which was traumatic and did not end well.

FAMILY SECRETS does have a final ending to this fictional/autobiography story but the real life addendum to this story continues forty years later when the sisters meet once again. Susan searches for her sister and ultimately locates her in order to reveal that their mother just recently died. Susan was anxious to reunite with her long, lost sister after years of growth and maturity. They spent two wonderful weeks together in America with Susan meeting her half sister and brother facilitated by her sister. Unlike their last meeting, they parted amicably and with much love. However, weeks before Susan’s sister was to visit Susan and her family in London, she, without any rational explanation, abandoned her sister, a replication of the actions of their parents and never communicated again with this heartbroken sibling.

Susan did resume her relationship and visits to America to vacation with her half siblings but never made contact with this traumatized sibling. I am Susan’s sister and I have made numerous attempts to contact this sister and to quiz her half siblings, living in this country, to find out why Susan choose to abandon this family member just as their parents did over seventy years ago. The answer to this family secret has yet to be revealed even by the half siblings who I have since ended any contact or relationship with them due to their betrayal and refusal to help two sisters, who were separated for over forty years and reunited again. They continue to welcome Susan into their lives when she comes to America.

Happy 70th Birthday, Susan ,and may all of our Family Secrets be revealed when we reach our final “Journey of Good and Evil”.

FAMILY SECRETS is, indeed, an intriguing novel, filled with romance, love, family devotion, challenges and enjoyed by many readers. This book can be reviewed and purchased through Amazon.Com

Please do let me know “whatsyourfeeling” and share your review of this family drama and secrets.

What is this Thing Called DYSLEXIA?

What joy we all derive from reading a great book or reading and sharing a children’s story book with our children and grandchildren! However, if we struggle with words and sentences in attempting to enjoy a best seller because those configurations of letter symbols confuse you or it takes an inordinate amount of time to process. If our precious little angels experience similar struggles in differentiating between “bs” and “ds” and cannot sound out the letters to create words, they will be excruciatingly frustrated and believe that they are dumb and cannot read like other children in their class. In response to this childhood dilemma, my children’s book, one in a series, NICKI NICE’S TRICKY LETTERS,was just released and describes the frustrations as well as the accomplishments of Nicki, the main character who struggles with dyslexia.

What is this thing called Dyslexia? This term is defined as a condition that prominently effects the ability to read. More than two million students ages 3 years to 21 years old have such learning disabilities according to the U.S. Department of Education and the vast majority of them have difficulties in reading. It should be noted that this statistic reflects students who are receiving services under the special education law, IDEA. Children who have yet to be identified and not serviced are not accounted for in this statistic.

Dyslexia effects the manner in which the way the brain processes written and spoken language, primarily reading. This disability, besides reading disabilities is demonstrated in the inability to master spelling, writing and oral language. It is a life long neurological condition without a cure but with appropriate instructional intervention, a child will find academic success and go on to college with career success.

Children with Dyslexia will experience much frustration and have a poor self esteem due to the stress of attempting to perform academically. Reading a single word can be a tremendous struggle. Dyslexia makes it most difficult to understand and remember what has been read. Connecting letters to sounds prevents a child in sounding out words (phonics). The skill of decoding words to create a sentence is another area of deficiency. Word recognition or sight word reading is a challenge and it requires countless attempts to visually identify words as a whole. Managing to remember the text or what has been read is almost unattainable and dyslexic children get bogged down sounding out individual words.

If a child is identified and diagnosed before the age of eight, they can be helped and will catch up to their peers. Researchers who study the brain, have identified a concept called “neuroplasticity” which documents the ability of the brain to rewire itself in processing data after these children receive specific tutoring and interventions.

There is no single test to determine the existence of dyslexia in a child. The child must be identified due to reading problems and evaluated by a team of specialists. The following steps hopefully will lead to early intervention: a medical exam, a referral by a specialist, psychological testing, completions of questionnaires by parents and teachers. Ultimately, all of the data is put together and a determination for special learning assistance will be determined.

In my next blog, I will provide additional information about this learning challenge and, in future postings, I will reveal stories of success from celebrities and public figures who are dyslexics. I will also provide much needed information on how parents can help their child in understanding dyslexia and methods of parental intervention for social and academic success.

Please do share “whatsyourfeeling” on this blog site.

The emotional and physical traumas of victims of a Pedophile’s abuse.

As noted in my last Blog, I will be providing crucial information on the emotional and physical damage that a pedophile inflicts upon their victims. Child sex abuse can result in both short term and long term harm to a child including psychopathology in later life. The following emotional disorders are evident either immediately or later on in their development;   Depression , significant anxiety, eating disorders, poor self esteem, sleep disturbances and post traumatic stress syndrome. Some children may regress in their behavior such as thumb sucking and bedwetting. Others may act out their sexual violation by sexually acting out and exhibiting inappropriate sexual knowledge and interest. These violated children may withdrawn from school and school activities and demonstrate learning and behavioral problems, attention deficit disorder and defiant oppositional disorder. Teenage pregnancy and risky sexual behaviors may appear during adolescent. Children who have been sexual abused are four times as likely to engage in self inflicting harm to themselves.

The social stigma of sexual child abuse may compound the psychological harm to children They experience shame and peer abuse and bullying associated  with community knowledge of this sexual assault . Hence, blaming the victim. Adverse outcomes are less likely for sexually abused children who have a supportive and compassionate family system.

The treatment for these abused victims is family therapy, individual therapy and medication. The prognosis for recovery can be successful if the effects of this abuse is acknowledged and addressed and precautions are taken to prevent such a violation to occur again. Victims of sex abuse have lost their trust for others and need to be part of a treatment plan. Victims may not trust themselves and they bare the guilt for their victimization and feel like “damaged goods”. A common behavioral reaction is overly sexualized behavior. Victims may dress and act in a sexual manner even if they are children. Sexualized behavior  effects their life negatively and can attract repeated, unwanted pedophile attention. All of these behavioral dysfunctions can be addressed through regular therapy and possible medication.

What is being done to eradicate this horrific crime? The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child is an international treaty that legally obliges states to protect children’s rights. States are required to protect children from all forms of child sexual abuse and sexual exploitation . This treaty protects children all over the world. However, such legislation can only be effective if pedophiles are reported and incarcerated .