Sexual Abuse in Children
- 7% of girls in grades 5 – 8 and 12% of girls in grades 9 – 12 said they had been sexually abused
- 3% of boys grades 5 – 8 and 5% of boys in grades 9 – 12 said they had been sexually abused
- Nearly 30% of child victims were between the age of 4 and 7
- 93% of juvenile sexual assault victims know their attacker
- More than one third (34.2%) of attackers were family members, 58.7% were acquaintances, and only 7% of the perpetrators were strangers to the victims
The long and short term range of traumatic effects of witnessing violence in the home are well documented. Through our Child Witness to Violence Program we work to mitigate the damage by providing therapeutic support to children and their non-offending family member(s). Depending on the age of the child this consists of a combination of individual and family sessions. Education and parenting support are important components of this program which also includes periodic support groups for youth and parents.