Rape is a serious and traumatic crime that involves the non-consensual sexual penetration or intercourse of one person by another. It is a violation of a person’s physical and emotional boundaries, and can have long-lasting and devastating effects on the victim.
Rape can come in many forms such as, stranger rape, acquaintance rape, martial rape and statutory rape. A lot of times abuse is only limited on these sexual abuse mentioned above.
But what happens when a child-on-child sexual abuse takes place?
A child-on-child sexual abuse refers to sexual behaviour between children that coerced or exploitative. It can occur between any age, but it’s most common among preteens and teenagers.
There is three types of child-on-child sexually abuse. Coercive sexual behaviour, one child forces or coerces another into sexual activity. Exploitative sexuallybehaviour, a more powerful child takes advantage of a younger or more vulnerable child and lastly Consensualsexual behaviour, children engage in sexual activity without coercion, but may still be harmful due to the age and power imbalance.
These types of abuse can cause complex trauma response and it can manifest in different ways such as adopting self-destructive behaviour, dissociation, people-pleasing, fear of intimacy, lack of boundaries, trauma re-enactment, sexual dysfunction, academic and career difficulties.
A lot of times we focus more on the victims but cases like this a rather sensitive because you are both dealing with children that you have to protect from becoming monsters when they grow older.
Helping a child who has been a victim of child-on-child sexual abuse requires sensitivity and supportive approach. Creating a safe place for the child to share her/his experience, acknowledging and validating the child’s emotions, and helping them process their trauma, involving the family to ensure a supportive environment and address any family dynamics contributing to the abuse, teaching the child about healthy relationships, boundaries and consent and help the child work through shame and quilt, emphasizing that the abuse was not their fault.
Helping a child who has perpetrated sexual abuse can be tricky but it requires a comprehensive and sensitive approach. A lot of therapy and counselling must take place. Age appropriate education about healthy sexuality consent, boundaries and relationships. Teach healthy coping mechanisms, impulse control and problem solving skills.
Unfortunately, punishment should be served depending on the jurisdiction, severity and circumstances. Remember, the primary goal is to help the child develop healthy relationships, behaviours and attitudes, reducing the risk of reoffending and promoting growth.
Every child’s healing process is unique and it’s important to tailor your support to their individual needs.
