Warning Signs of Sexual Abuse in Stamford

Sexual abuse can have lifelong psychological, physical, and financial effects. Unfortunately, one of the biggest reasons why preventing sexual abuse is so difficult is the fact that abuse can be extremely hard to notice from the outside, even if you are paying close attention and doing your best to protect your loved ones from harm.

That said, there are a few common warning signs of sexual abuse in Stamford that you should be on the lookout for as a parent or guardian, a mandated reporter, or just a concerned friend or family member of a young child. If necessary, a seasoned sexual abuse lawyer from Berkowitz and Hanna LLC can help pursue civil restitution from any person who engages in, knowingly supports, or inadvertently facilitates sexual misconduct with a child.

Symptoms of Sexual Abuse in Minor Children

Some examples of behavioral changes and physical symptoms that could be warning signs of sexual abuse in Stamford include:

• Sudden anxiety, depression, or trouble sleeping
• Regression to behaviors typically seen in younger children, like bedwetting or thumbsucking
• Speaking or acting in a sexual, age-inappropriate way
• Mood and personality changes, such as suddenly becoming more withdrawn or becoming more prone to angry outbursts
• Discoloration, bleeding, bruising, or pain around intimate areas, especially if it interferes with urination or bowel movements
• Suddenly having expensive items like phones, jewelry, toys, or clothes without explanation

It is worth emphasizing that a child who displays one—or sometimes even more than one—of these symptoms is not guaranteed to be experiencing that problem solely because they are being sexually abused. If many of these symptoms are present, though, it may be worth looking into the matter further and potentially discussing legal options with an experienced attorney.

What Signs Could Indicate Sexual Abuse by an Adult?

Parents and guardians in Stamford should also be aware of some of the warning signs that another adult may be sexually abusing a child who is in their care or whom they otherwise have access to, such as:

• Insistence on being alone with a child without any adult supervision
• Consistently making inappropriate sexual comments or jokes around children 
• Insistence on being physically affectionate with a child regardless of the child’s desires
• Unusual attention paid to one child over others, especially in a group setting such as a daycare or a family home with multiple children living in it
• Lack of interest in spending spare time with peers in their adult age group

Once again, the presence of one or more of these signs does not necessarily mean abuse or anything else inappropriate is absolutely happening, but many of them put together could be cause for serious concern.

A Stamford Attorney Can Help Take Action Over Warning Signs of Sexual Abuse

Of course, being able to identify warning signs of sexual abuse in Stamford is just the first step to protecting children from preventable mistreatment. If you believe that your child or anyone else’s child is being sexually abused, your first priority should be filing a report with local police so they can investigate the matter more thoroughly and, if they find evidence of abuse, move the abused child(ren) to a safe place while they pursue criminal charges against their abuser(s).

However, if you want to seek civil compensation for harm that you or your child experienced due to childhood sexual abuse, help is available from a compassionate sexual abuse lawyer with years of experience helping people like you through cases much like yours. Call Berkowitz and Hanna LLC today for a confidential consultation.