What is Child Sexual Abuse?
Instances of child sexual abuse continue to take place across the state of Massachusetts at an alarming rate. These incidents are incredibly tragic and can have long-lasting and adverse impacts on the mental and emotional health and well-being of children throughout their entire lives.
Victims who have survived sexual abuse as children may have difficulties maintaining relationships with other people. They may also exhibit signs of destructive behavior. If you or someone you know is a victim of child sexual abuse, there may be legal options available to help heal and move forward. Reaching out to a Massachusetts sexual abuse attorney can make a significant difference in helping you get justice.
Understanding Child Sexual Abuse
Child sexual abuse is a term used to describe any type of sexual activity with a minor. This can include:
- Molestation of a child
- Sex trafficking
- Sexual assault
- Touching a child’s genitals/female’s breasts
- Child pornography, whether exploiting the child, owning, producing, or distributing this content
- Oral copulation with a child
- Rape
- Exposing sexual organs to a child
- Sexual harassment
- Prostitution of a child
- Acts of incest
- Exposing a child to any sexually explicit images or content
Even if a child consents to the interaction or understands the nature of the interaction, they are not legally able to provide consent to someone to engage in any type of sexual behavior. Therefore, doing so is illegal in the state of Massachusetts and can have both criminal and civil consequences for perpetrators.
Children as Targets
Predators will often choose innocent targets that they know or those that they feel are vulnerable. Predators may target children from broken homes, those who do not have responsible adults in their lives, and children who are dealing with other chaotic circumstances. Many culprits gain the trust of victims and may even threaten them to keep them from telling other people what they are going through.
Sometimes the people who cause harm to children are those in trusted positions. Some of the most commonly identified perpetrators of sexual abuse of children include:
- Foster care parents
- Abuse by family members
- Babysitters
- Clergy members
- Coaches
- Camp counselors
- Teachers/other school officials
- Parents of friends
- Youth workers
When children are victimized by sexual abusers, it is important that they seek assistance right away. Many children require mental health treatment to help cope with the trauma.
In addition to having criminal charges filed against abusers, victims are able to pursue legal action in civil court to hold them to account. Our sexual abuse lawyers in Massachusetts can help you get justice.
Law Offices of Carmen L Durso Is Here For You
Our Massachusetts sexual abuse lawyers at the Law Office of Carmen L. Durso have helped hundreds of victims recover from abuse that they have experienced in private, public, religious, and even charter schools. Our law firm will help you move forward and offer caring and sound counsel that you can trust to get you justice.
Although we understand that abuse is extremely difficult for victims to talk about, you can be sure that we are here to listen to you. Contact our law firm today by calling 617-728-9123 to schedule a free and confidential consultation with Attorney Durso to discuss the legal options available for you.
