Myth: Sexual abusers are dangerous, weird, or evil-looking strangers.
Reality: Most offenders are known to their victims (i.e., fathers, siblings, friends, relatives, neighbours, teachers etc.)

Myth: Child sexual abuse usually involves violence.
Reality: Violence is seldom used. Most offenders rely on grooming, bribery and threats rather than force, or by convincing the child that no one will believe them. Children are often taught to obey figures of authority (adults) without questioning and thus become innocent victims of sexual abuse.

Myth: Children lie about sexual abuse or imagine it happened.
Reality: It is extremely rare for a child to lie about such things. More often, a child may withdraw or minimise a previous disclosure out of panic, discomfort, or family pressure.

Myth: Child molesters are usually homosexuals.
Reality: The vast majority of molesters consider themselves heterosexuals.

Myth: If penetration did not occur, then nothing really happened.
Reality: Incomplete sexual assault can be just as traumatic as a complete one. The child feels powerlessness, degradation, anger, guilt, shame, and confusion.

Myth: Offenders can be trusted if they promise never to do it again.
Reality: The offender won’t stop unless he gets help. Incestuous offenders tend to restrict their abuse to the family but some do seek victims outside of their family. They should be forced to get professional help.

Myth: If something “like that” is going on, the mother always knows.
Reality: Many mothers have no idea, yet blame themselves for not knowing after disclosure is made. On the other hand, there are cases that the mothers are aware of the abuse but out of fear of her husband, who may be the offender, she does not reveal the abuse.

Check out books, posters & pamphlets and videos on Child Sexual Abuse.

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