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Warning Signs of Daycare Sexual Abuse

Being a parent means long days of prepping nutritious meals, tripping over toys, and coddling a temperamental little one. If you are also employed, worrying about where to send your child while you are away from home is yet another necessary stressor.

Unfortunately, finding a Daycare center that can keep your child safe and happy is sometimes not always easy. The headlines are filled with cases involving children who were put into unsafe hands at daycare centers, sometimes resulting in sexual abuse. Understanding the warning signs of daycare sexual abuse and what you can do to protect your child has never been so important. To learn more, contact a daycare sexual abuse lawyer for guidance.

What is Daycare Sexual Abuse?

Children rely on parents and caretakers to ensure their safety until they are old enough to make their own decisions. But what happens when that trust for your child’s wellbeing is broken in the worst way imaginable? Children do not have the ability to consent to sexual activity. Any sexual act that occurs with a child is considered sexual abuse.

Daycare sexual abuse does not always involve a daycare worker. Children can also sexually abuse other children when left ill-attended by an adult.

The following are some potential daycare abuse signs:

  • Unusual knowledge or interest in sexual matters
  • Scratching, pain, infection, or soreness around genital areas
  • Resistance, anxiety, or fear about going to daycare
  • Sudden changes in behavior
  • Using adult language
  • Seeming distracted or distant during odd times
  • Frequently returning home from daycare with toys, money, or gifts
  • Seeking inappropriate affection
  • Using different words for private areas
  • Talking frequently about a new and older friend
  • Trouble sitting down or walking
  • Beginning to view themselves and their body as dirty, repulsive, or bad
  • Presence of an STD or STI
  • Sudden change in eating habits
  • Asking other children to play games of a sexual nature
  • Resisting removing clothes during normal times (bath, diaper change, using the toilet, going to bed)
  • Keeping secrets with older children or adults
  • Wetting and soiling accidents that are not related to potty training
  • Creating artwork, playing, writing, or dreaming about highly sexual or frightening scenarios

It is important to note that children may also exhibit such symptoms while experiencing emotional distress during times such as divorce, trauma, or the death of a pet or family member. Even then, a child having any of these symptoms is a cause for concern. When more than one symptom is present, it is especially important to seek professional guidance by speaking to a doctor, child psychologist, and a sexual abuse attorney.

Daycare Abuse Statistics

Did you know that almost one-fourth of children five and under are in some form of organized child care, including daycare centers, nurseries, and preschools?

Children left in the hands of daycare workers are unable to protect themselves, making them easy targets for sexual predators and daycare child abuse. Furthermore, young children do not usually have the capacity to understand what happened to them, let alone inform their parents. The problem is so widespread that every nine minutes, a child in America is sexually abused.

Sadly, childhood sexual abuse in daycares is more prevalent than most would imagine. In fact, in 2017 alone, 2,237 daycare centers were found to be mistreating children left in their care, whether by physical abuse or neglect. Of the perpetrators who were child daycare providers, more than 20% committed sexual abuse.

The effects of childhood sexual abuse are real and can affect a survivor for life. Survivors of child sexual abuse are more likely to experience the following mental health issues:

  • About 4 times more likely to develop a drug addiction
  • About 4 times more likely to experience PTSD as adults
  • About 3 times more likely to experience a major depressive episode as adults

If your child was sexually abused at a daycare center, you must speak up for your child who cannot do it alone.

How Can You Prevent Daycare Abuse?

Before enrolling your child in daycare, it is important to follow some basic guidelines in order to select the best center to care for your child and help prevent daycare abuse. Parents should always ask for a copy of the daycare’s policy to understand what child protection policies are in place, including how allegations of abuse are handled.

Be sure to also review how both employees and volunteers are screened when applying for work. Does the daycare adhere to best practices for the screening process, such as background checks and checking personal and professional references? Are the applications in-depth enough to keep perpetrators at bay? If these questions cannot be answered clearly and sufficiently, keep looking for a better daycare provider. Finally, be sure to read online reviews and listen to word of mouth from other parents.

What To Do If You Suspect Daycare Abuse

If you suspect your child has been abused at a daycare center, it is vital to act immediately. The first action is to promptly remove your child from daycare. Next, contact the police and social services, such as CPS and DSS, and share your concerns. You should then seek a trusted physician to have your child medically evaluated followed by a qualified child psychologist who will allow your child to begin to process and heal from the trauma that took place. Finally, speak to a sympathetic daycare abuse lawyer who can help you pursue a civil case against the daycare and alleged perpetrator.

Can You Sue a Daycare for Abuse?

When you send your child off to daycare, you are putting trust in a stranger’s hands. The daycare center is responsible for everything that occurs on its premises and may be held liable for any conduct considered negligent or abusive.

If your child was abused at a daycare center, it is up to you as a parent to make the right move. Because of the potential high burden of proof, it is sometimes difficult to pursue a sexual abuser in a criminal trial. A civil trial has a lower threshold for required evidence and can provide you with the compensation you will need to help your child recover from this horrific experience and prevent other children from being hurt.

A civil lawsuit can help provide compensation for:

  • Your child’s suffering and mental anguish
  • Therapy
  • Psychiatric care
  • Relevant medical bills

In addition to recovering compensation for your child’s suffering, filing a civil suit holds the perpetrator or daycare responsible for their actions against your child.

Talk to an Experienced Daycare Abuse Lawyer Today

Filing a daycare sexual abuse lawsuit cannot erase the damage done. But a daycare abuse settlement or verdict can help you recover the compensation you need to refocus your child’s life. Most consultations with daycare abuse lawyers are private and free, and you will typically pay nothing unless they can secure compensation on your behalf. Contact a sympathetic daycare sexual abuse attorney today who will walk you through the process of pursuing justice.

The post Warning Signs of Daycare Sexual Abuse appeared first on Find US Lawyers.



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Warning Signs of Daycare Sexual Abuse

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