Myths and Facts
❌ Myth: It is an abuse only if there is physical violence.
✅Fact: Physical abuse is just one form of abuse. Children can also be harmed by emotional abuse, sexual abuse and neglect. These types of abuse are usually hidden from sight and, as a result, people are less likely to take action and help the children.
❌ Myth: A child is most likely to be sexually abused by a stranger.
✅Fact: Children are most often sexually abused by someone they know and trust, such as family members or someone who is close to the family and the child.
❌ Myth: Child abuse doesn’t happen in “good” families and wealthy households.
✅Fact: Child abuse can happen in any household, regardless of ethnic background, culture, religion or economic status.
❌ Myth: Adults who suffered abuse as children are not affected in their adult life.
✅Fact: Children affected by severe child abuse and neglect can experience major physical, cognitive, psychological, behavioral and social consequences that extend into adulthood. Survivors of child abuse need care, support and counseling to overcome the trauma of abuse and live full healthy lives.
❌ Myth: A child is responsible for the abuse that he/she suffers.
✅Fact: A child is never responsible for the abuse he/she suffers. The responsibility for abuse lies solely with the offender. In the case of sexual abuse, offenders often try to shift the blame for their actions by accusing the child of being promiscuous or seductive.
❌ Myth: Children usually lie about sexual abuse.
✅Fact: It is extremely rare for children to lie about being sexually abused. In reality, children may not want to disclose sexual abuse because they are embarrassed, afraid and uncomfortable.
❌ Myth: Young children are the only ones vulnerable to child abuse.
✅Fact: Child abuse can happen to infants, children and adolescents. Sometimes it might seem like adolescents should be able to fight back, but it is hard to stand up to a person of authority causing physical, sexual or emotional harm, especially when it is their own parent. Child abuse is often an abuse of power and trust. Cruel words and sexual or physical abuse can hurt adolescents as much as they can hurt a child.
❌ Myth: Physical discipline is not child abuse.
✅Fact: Discipline is correcting behavior and showing a child how to behave in a more acceptable way. Any method of discipline, if it results physical or emotional injury to children, becomes a form of abuse.
❌ Myth: Reporting suspected child abuse can cause more harm than the abuse itself.
✅Fact: Sometimes people are concerned about children being affected by efforts to protect them, which may include legal proceedings. Continued abuse will cause more harm than any action taken to protect the child.