Topic > The Causes of Child Sexual Abuse

Perpetrators of child sexual abuse are men and women who have difficulty meeting their needs with other adults, so they turn to children to meet those needs. Often these are men or women who have experienced a history of sexual, physical and/or emotional abuse and have never received help. Many professionals today believe that some of these perpetrators are programmed to feel sexually attracted to children or adolescents. The perpetrators of such violence and betrayal are usually known to the child and often to his family. They engage in a process called grooming, in which they offer special interest, gifts and attention to the child. Offenders tend to choose victims who appear vulnerable: they may appear different, they may come from a problematic family or from a poor background. They may come from a family where there is little love available to them. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay What is important to know is that it is never a child's responsibility to be abused. It is never the child's responsibility to stop the abuse, and often, because of grooming, it is difficult for the child to code what is being done to him as abuse, because the perpetrator has told him that he cares about him. So it's very confusing to be told that you are cared for and then to be treated in a way that is hurtful and uncomfortable. It is also important to know that any child who has been sexually abused can heal and recover fully, with proper care. support, professional help and connection with other survivors. Those who perpetrate or feel tempted to perpetrate can also get help. Just because they are programmed or struggling doesn't mean they don't have help available to learn how to manage their feelings and attractions. HIV/AIDS has been considered a major cause of child sexual abuse. There are numerous social and cultural beliefs that influence the spread of HIV and AIDS. The “HIV/Aids virgin cure” myth, also called the virgin cleanse myth, is the belief that having sex with a virgin will cure or prevent an HIV-infected person from developing AIDS. This particular myth is prevalent in South Africa and also in some parts of India and Thailand. This practice is believed to be the reason behind the high rates of child sexual abuse in South Africa, a country with the highest rates of rape and child defilement in the world. In Kibera, around 40% of respondents explained that they believed the common myth that men infected with HIV/Aids could be cleansed of the virus if they had sex with virgins. This false myth therefore places children in a risky situation making them more vulnerable as they do not have the right or physical strength to fend off such attackers. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now .Download a custom essay The scourge of HIV/Aids has exposed children more to sexual abuse as when their parents die the children are orphaned at an early age and this makes them easy targets for child labor and child prostitution in an attempt to provide for themselves. Their relatives also sexually exploit children when they seek accommodation in their homes. Men also target girls for sex so that they do not contract the HIV/Aids virus.