What are possible indicators of sexual abuse? 

The following is a list of indicators of POSSIBLE sexual abuse. Please remember that these physical and behavioral indicators may be due to another reason.

Physical Indicators:

• Difficulty urinating or having bowel movements
• Difficulty walking or sitting
• Tearing, stains or blood on a child’s underclothing
• Genital or anal bruises, fissures and lacerations
• Frequent vaginal infections
• Frequent urinary tract infections or yeast infections
• Sexually transmitted diseases
• Pain or itching in the genital area
• Physical complaints, such as headaches and stomachaches

Behavioral Indicators:

• Verbal statements by the child
• Acting out or passive withdrawal/depression
• Persistent and inappropriate sexual play with toys, animals or peers
• Detailed and unexplained sexual knowledge beyond age expectations
• Seductive, precocious sexual behavior and gender confusion
• Aggressive sexual behavior, especially in boy victims
• Excessive, persistent public masturbation
• Disturbances in eating patterns (i.e. binge eating, loss of appetite, gagging, hoarding food)
• Disturbances in toileting patterns (i.e. wetting/soiling themselves)
• Disturbances in sleep patterns (i.e. nightmares, night terrors, fear of the dark, fear of being alone in bedroom, wanting to sleep with a parent)
• Extraordinary fear of the same sex adults, baby-sitters, etc.
• Unexplained and unusually intensive guardedness, mistrust, clinging and watchfulness
• Role reversal, overly concerned for siblings
• Regression: Returning to earlier behaviors that have been outgrown
• Outbursts and tantrums, irritability
• “Fragile” feelings (i.e. hurt easily, quick to cry)
• Nervous behavior, worry
• Bedwetting or thumb sucking
• Poor self-esteem, self-devaluation, lack of confidence
• Suicide attempts (especially teens)
• Sudden difficulties in school
• Threatened by physical contact or closeness