The unthinkable has happened. An adult whom you trusted to care for your child has abused him in an intimate and cruel way. It wasn’t a stranger on the street who hurt your child, but rather a scout leader, a youth group advisor, or a team coach. As much as you’d like to turn back the clock and keep your child out of that adult’s care, you know that you can’t. Instead, your focus has to be on the future.
Your Focus Has to Be on Your Child’s Recovery
As you do everything in your power to help your child through this difficult time, you may have a nagging question in the back of our mind. You may wonder if a person can ever truly recover from childhood sexual abuse.
The American Psychological Association has identified several factors that are relevant to whether a child recovers from sexual abuse. Those factors include:
- The age of the child and the type of abuse suffered
- The relationship between the child and the abuser
- The child’s interpretation of the abuse
- Whether the child talks about the abuse to anyone
- How quickly the child reports the abuse
- The child’s family support, support outside the family, self-esteem, and spirituality
- Whether the child gets support through other means such as counseling, support groups, and books
It is important to consider all of the issues described above when deciding how best to help your child.
You are the Most Important Factor in Your Child’s Recovery
As the parent, you are the one who is going to determine whether your child gets the help that he needs to recover from sexual abuse. It may be one of the most important parenting jobs you ever do, but you don’t have to do it alone. Learn how we may be able to help you by watching our free videos and by starting an online chat with us today.
