Expert: More Children Are Being Sexually Abused By Other Children

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A child protection expert has revealed that a “large portion” of child sexual abuse victims in Australia are being assaulted by other children.

The co-director of the Australian Centre for Child Protection, Leah Bromfield, told nine.com.au that more children are now displaying “harmful sexual behaviours” but not enough is being done to stop it from happening.

“It is relatively common in terms of child sexual abuse,” she said. “People often ignore or minimise the issue by saying, ‘Oh, it’s just a child – it’s not that harmful,’ or blame it on normal sexual development.”

The issue came to light when one South Australian mother spoke about how her six-year-old son with disability was allegedly sexually abused by his 12-year-old stepbrother.

She told nine.com.au that her family had been torn apart as she debated with the older boy’s parents on whether or not to come forward to police, and that her son, who had a global development delay, had suffered further after police told them that his case was a lost cause.

“No one would let me lay charges as there isn’t enough evidence,” she said. “But I’ve got pictures, video statements, and [my son] wants to talk. They don’t have the time to listen or have chosen not to.”

The mother said that the incident happened on March 10 as her blended family, which included her husband’s two older sons, were having dinner at her house. She said that while she was cooking dinner, she decided to check on the kids, and was utterly shocked at what she saw.

“I had to pause to understand what was going on for a moment but what I saw was a teenage boy taking advantage of a six-year-old and enjoying it,” she told nine.com.au.

She said that she screamed and the boy’s father rushed in just in time when the 12-year-old boy was adjusting his pants.

She said that the older boy told them not to call the cops while her son kept saying, “He is a bad person, he was trying to put his willy in my bum.”

The mother then told the older boy’s mother and stepfather about what happened expecting to see the same reaction as hers, but the older boy’s mother said: “There is really nothing to worry about.”

She added that the older boy’s mother defended her son’s behaviour, saying it was ‘inappropriate but nothing sinister.’

The mother said that the older boy even denied any wrongdoing and deflected blame to her son.

The older boy’s mother also convinced her to just deal with the matter “in house”, which she accepted.

However, after that night, the mother said that her son refused to sleep alone and started experiencing night terrors.

The mother decided to bring the matter to police, but the police only caused her son more angst, with a medical assessment and an interview with police that were complicated by her son’s mental state.

The six-year-old was diagnosed with a global delay, and when he was six, he had the capacity of a four or five-year-old. “His cognitive, language and motor skills are behind,” the mother said.

Professor Bromfield said that while children have difficulties reporting a sexual assault to their parents or police, it is harder for children with disabilities. “We must remember there are also greater barriers for children with disabilities to disclose sexual abuse,” she said.

She said that children with disabilities have higher risk of being a sexual assault victim. “There is evidence to show perpetrators are quite predatory in selecting their victims,” she explained. “They will choose someone who is least likely to be believed when they tell or be perceived as a weak witness before the courts.”

While the number of sex offences committed by children each year in Australia is not clear, child safety experts say little has been done to determine what contributes to them.

Child protection advocate and Emeritus Professor Freda Briggs wrote in a submission to the SA government in 2016 that there is ‘little information about under 12s.’ “International evidence confirms that these behaviours are increasing and the perpetrators of problem sexual behaviour are getting younger and younger,” she said.

Professor Bromfield suggested therapeutic intervention to be effective in stopping harmful sexual behaviour in children if parents voluntarily enrol their children as young as four who exhibit problematic behaviour.

“Dealing with it now can save children in the future from experiencing abuse and also prevent that victim from going on to become a perpetrator in adult life,” she said. “You want to treat the child to stop it but also find the origin because they may need support.”

Source: 9news.com.au