Although there aren’t any tell-tale signs a child is being abused, young children may try to tell adults about abuse in the only ways they know how: by acting out behaviourally!
If you see one or more of these as persistent signs in a child you know… PAY SPECIAL ATTENTION!
- Fear of going to bed – some children may fear falling asleep because they are having nightmares about being abused.
- Falling asleep in class – perhaps they don’t feel safe sleeping at night or at home
- Re-established bed wetting or a regression in other previously attained developmental milestones
- Wearing the same clothes or seasonally inappropriate clothes (long sleeves or sunglasses may be used to cover bruises) or other odd behaviours.
- The class clown - disrupting class may be a means to distract from traumatic memories & learning difficulties that arise because of trauma responses
- Children with low self-esteem and those who are isolating themselves
- The odd child that can’t relate to other children - traumatized children act in ways that only make sense when you understand trauma
- Children bullying or picking on other kids (victims are often angry)
- Children being bullied by others often feel they deserve to be treated poorly, lack boundaries and don't know how to stand up for themselves
- Children experimenting sexually (re-enacting what’s been done to them)
- Developing a newly established fear of someone or a strong dislike of someone
They may make comments like: “I don’t like the games they make me play” ; “I don’t want to go to daycare" or " Can’t you stay home with me”.
For more information on this and other important issues associated to childhood sexual abuse: please visit my other website: kellipalfy.ca
If the answer is yes...get up out of bed and go do something else! Do something fun, but not too emotionally or physically stimulating. Sleep experts tell us that it is better to get out of your bed, than to 'condition' your bed to become a place where you go to fear sleep. Don’t try go back to bed for at least half an hour...This should help you get more sleep in the long run. Having nightmares? I can help....come see me
Check out my blog on understanding grooming techniques and pick up a copy of my book! What begins as abuse remains abuse...no matter how your body responded.
