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How can parents deal with their own feelings? Finding out that your own child has molested another child may be one of the most difficult life experiences you�ll ever have to face. Most parents go into shock initially, then through a period of denial where they try to pretend that nothing has happened. For a while they might feel as though they�re on a roller coaster ride of unfamiliar and conflicting emotions. Here are some common reactions: There�s been a mistake. My child would never have done such a thing. It�s not our fault. There�s too much talk about sex these days. Look at the TV commercials. It�s a wonder they don�t all grow up to be perverts. I�m so ashamed. Where did we go wrong? They�ll lock him up with hardened criminals and he�ll come out even worse. I�ll go crazy and kill him. We don�t need any help. We�ve always handled our own problems as a family. If we can all pull together, we can put this behind us in no time. I feel so helpless. Everyone else is �calling the shots� now. If you�re a parent whose child has molested another child, it�s quite normal to go through all of these reactions, often within a short space of time. You should get professional help, either from your child�s sexual abuse counsellor, or from a counsellor of your own. The crisis may also trigger memories of sexual abuse incidents from your own childhood which you�ve tried to forget.
