Suffering in Silence: Preventing Child Sexual Abuse One of the most hated acts in the world is the sexual abuse of a child. It confuses them, harms them physically, and damages the psychological core of their being. While most would admit they are against such horrific acts of savagery, they do not know how often this happens behind closed doors, in families, in camps and other places. The lack of education and resources on the issue is a problem. If educating others could prevent even one child from being sexually abused, it would be worth it. Sexual abuse is any sexual act (touching or non-touching) forced on another person. Child sexual abuse occurs when there is an adult and a minor engaged in forced sexual activity. It could also involve two minors if one of them forces the other to perform acts. The American Camp Association defines it as “any situation in which a child is used for sexual gratification. This may include lewd acts, fondling, rape or commercial exploitation through prostitution or the production of pornographic material.” (Child Abuse Prevention Resources) The horrible truth is that sexual abuse commonly occurs within families (this could involve parents and/or siblings) or with people the families and the victim know and care about. they trust. Any sane person would look at these actions and consider them horrible, but they still exist and must be stopped. Obviously using children for sexual gratification is bad, but how bad is it? First of all, it is not just the initial incident that is the crime. The psychological problems faced by children who have been sexually abused are numerous. Children who are sexually abused have the event (or events) that follows them into their adult lives...center of the card...children who sexual advances from adults are wrong and against the law. (Preventing Sexual Child Abuse) The national sexual assault hotline is 1-800-656-HOPE. Other numbers to call are 1-800-CHILDREN (Prevent Child Abuse America) and 1-800-4-A-CHILD (Child Help USA). There are many sources on the Internet that further explain the details and signs of sexual abuse and provide important information about reporting and handling such crimes. The sexual abuse of a child is a horrific and all too common criminal act in the United States. The only way to prevent it is to become informed and educated on the topic and not to remain silent, but to speak up on behalf of a child who may not have the voice to do so. These children cannot speak for themselves and it is up to you to provide them with the help they need and possibly prevent crimes from happening..