QUESTIONS

How do I know if I'm being sexually abused?
Please click on the link below to retrieve definitions of "What is child abuse?"
http://www.childhelp.org/resources/what-is-child-abuse

How do I know if a child has been abused?
You've probably heard a lot about sexual abuse, but you may not be sure if your experience fits the definition.

Have any of these things ever happened to you?

• Were you ever touched unnecessarily in your private areas?
• Were you fondled or kissed in away that felt bad to you?
• Were you forced to touch someone else's private areas?
• Were you made to pose for sexual pictures?
• Were you forced to have oral sex?
• Were you raped or did you have things forced inside of your vagina or anus?
• Were you forced to watch people have sex?
• Were you shown sexual movies?
• Were you forced to have enemas, genital exams, or other medical procedures, that weren't really needed?
• Were you told you were only good for sex?
• Were you ridiculed about your body or your sexuality?
• Were you pressured into having sex?
• Were you involved in selling your body for sex?
• Were you forced to abuse or hurt someone else?
• Were you forced to take part in rituals that involved violence, sex or torture?

If any of these things happened to you, then you were sexually abused.

From the voices of children, "Why a child might be afraid to tell":

• I'm afraid no one will believe me
• I'm afraid I will get in trouble
• I'm afraid of my abuser will get in trouble
• I'm afraid my abused will hurt me if I tell
• I'm embarrassed
• I feel it is my fault
• I was told I deserved it
• I don't know how to tell
• I don't know who to tell

Why Alexa and Courtney believe you should tell:

• If you continue to tell your story to people you trust, someone will help Stop the Abuse.
• Most likely, you are not the only victim.
• No one has the right to hurt you.
• No one deserves to be abused.
• It's a big burden to keep the secret to yourself

"Courtney and I know first hand all the reasons that someone might not want to tell, but none of those reasons are good enough to keep your abuse a secret."
— Alexa

Who can I tell?
Someone you trust:

• Parent or Relative
• Friend
• Teacher, Counselor, Principal
• Police
• An Adult that makes you feel safe

How do I tell?
Courtney and Alexa know that telling was one of the hardest things that we ever did, but they have found that no one wants to see a child hurt. You will be surprised how much support you will get by telling the right person.

• You can sit down with someone you trust and tell them that someone has touched you where you didn't want to be touched.
• You can write a note to someone you trust if you can't talk about it.
• If you can't talk to an adult, you can talk to a friend or email Courtney and Alexa. They know how important it is to be heard and believed.

"Courtney and I know that telling is not easy, but by us telling someone, our abuse has stopped."
— Alexa