In contrast to last week’s article about age-appropriate curiosity, signs that a child is being sexually abused will typically be displayed in more concerning ways. Problematic sexual behaviors include an explicit imitation of intercourse or sexual acts, touching animals inappropriately, and/or persistent, repeated behaviors or knowledge of sexual acts. One aspect that can make children more vulnerable is the significant amount of sexual content in our popular media, which may be viewed by children on shows and commercials, in gaming apps, websites, through technology such as smart phones, texting apps and social media. For more information, read the VIRTUS® article “Differentiating age-appropriate curiosity from harmful sexual behavior and abuse in elementary aged children” at lacatholics.org/did-you-know.

Read the VIRTUS® article “Differentiating age-appropriate curiosity from harmful sexual behavior and abuse in elementary aged children” here.