What is Child Sexual Abuse?

Child sexual abuse occurs when an adult, more powerful child or adolescent uses his or her power to involve a child in sexual activity.

Sexual abuse can be physical, verbal or emotional and can include:

• kissing or holding a child in a sexual manner
• 'flashing' or exposing a sexual body part to a child
• speaking to children about sexual matters
• making obscene phone calls or remarks to a child or young person
• sending obscene emails or text messages to a child or young person
• fondling a child or young person's body in a sexual manner
• persistent intrusion of a child's privacy
• penetration of the vagina or anus either by the penis, finger or any other object
• oral sex
• rape
• incest
• showing pornographic films, magazines or photographs to a child
• having a child pose or perform in a sexual manner
• forcing a child to watch a sexual act
• child prostitution

(The above definition is from Child Safety Queensland)

What Child Sexual Abuse is NOT:

• it is NEVER ok
• it is NEVER the child's fault
• it does NOT make survivors "broken" or "damaged goods"

If you have experienced childhood sexual assault, in any form, you are not alone. What happened to you was not ok, it was never your fault and it does not make you broken or damaged goods.

To join fellow survivors in ending the silence surrounding childhood sexual assault, please consider submitting an anonymous Teddy Tag.