Nobody has the right to touch your
body without your permission, regardless of how much he loves you, how much
money he has spent on you, or for any other reason.
Anytime a touch makes you feel
uncomfortable, you have the right to say no. You never owe another person the
right to touch You. Trust your gut feelings. Pushing,
manipulating, pressuring, exploiting, or abusing another person is never
acceptable in any relationship.
If
someone touches you in a way you don't like, tell the person to stop and get
away, and then talk about it with an adult you trust.
If an
adult or older teenager has touched you in the past, it is not your fault.
It is always the adult's responsibility.
It is very
important that you get counseling for sexual abuse now, in
order to prevent problems as you grow older. If you have never talked with a
counselor, seek help immediately,
The
sexual assault of a person occurs when a male or female is tricked, coerced,
seduced, intimidated, forced into cooperating, or forced into not offering any
resistance to sexual activity with another person.
Sexual abuse can be defined as:
·
Showing
children pornographic materials
·
Taking
nude pictures
·
Adult
exposing himself to child or asking him to expose himself
·
Fondling
private areas of the body
·
Intimate
kissing
·
Genital
contact
·
Rape
Sexual assault includes incest, molestation, rape,
and "date rape.
Incest is sexual activity between
any relatives.
Usually:
·
Father/stepfather
·
Grandfather
uncle
·
Cousin
·
Brother
Occasionally:
·
Mother
·
Aunt
Molestation is sexual activity with
someone outside the person's family. Eighty percent of molestations are by
someone the victim knows and trusts:
·
Mother’s
boyfriend
·
Neighbor
·
Teacher
·
Coach
·
Doctor/dentist
·
Pastor/priest
·
Youth
leader
·
Camp
counselor
·
Baby-sitter
Only 20 percent of
molestations are by strangers.