You may have often heard cases of children being abused through various media platforms. Usually, you may think it happens everywhere else except within the home, parents may believe their children may never be subjected to such crimes under the same roof. It is happening more frequently than most realize and seems to be on the increase.
In the United States of America from 2012 to 2020, there was a report of 656 243 cases, with the average age from 2 to 5 years old. Child abuse may be in various forms such as physical, psychological, and sexual mistreatment.
The trauma stays for life until treatment and therapy. The impact of these abuses is imprinted within the subconscious mind, continuous abuse has a compounding effect of trauma, shock, terror, hopelessness, helplessness, anxiety, depression, anger, withdrawal, phobia, depression, detachment, addictions, depression, feeling trapped, unprotected, unsafe, controlled & imprisoned, the soul has been hijacked.
The worst form of child abuse that has the most devastating effect is pedophilia.
Is Pedophilia a Mental Illness or an Act of Violence?
Pedophilia is classified as a form of psychosexual disorder in adults. It is understood and classified or characterized as a mature individual/person having sexual relations with children, the age rate being 13 years or younger. Pedophiles often begin a relationship with a child by becoming their friend, engage with motions of subtle sexual advances, they push the limits, some become forceful, and in some instances, result in the victim’s death.
Most commonly the age difference between the child to adult may even be 20 – 50 years. A pedophile does not always look like a criminal, they may look very well-presented, well-mannered, popular with everyone or just the average Joe or Jane.
Pedophiles are not only men. They can be average to high-level profile individuals, in affluent circles, or well-presented within society. They are chameleons, blending in, disguised, with
manipulative behaviours. Placing the veil/wool over the eyes of others. They can be in the positions of a teacher, much older sibling, doctor, husband, relative and even a parent or stepparent.
Awareness is brought to you through my blog of the importance in identifying the most common signs of a pedophile, and safeguarding you and your child from a molester.
Some Signs That Can Save Your Child from Abuse
Identifying a pedophile, predator, or child molester can be challenging, they look like your average person. Research has revealed they are mostly males over the age of 29 years old, in relationships, married, attached, and occupying a variety of social circles. Some prefer to be close to children, they choose professions allowing them to be in very close proximity to children. It is not easy to spot them, it is for this reason I have listed the basic signs of a child predator.
To ensure your child’s safety there are various child protection software and apps you can try.
It is important to note the following list of characteristics alone does not constitute one as a pedophile they are simply guidelines, use your discretion.
- Unusual Interest / Obsession in Children – Very obvious symptoms of Pedophilia are the deep obsession interest of an adult person with children. Most molesters spend time mimicking children’s behaviours, they choose activities of that of children, these activities are not what are identified as a mature adult would preoccupy themselves with. These actions and hobbies may seem childlike, even going as far as decorating areas that are the type of childishness manner that may be appealing to the age and sex of the victim.
- Use of Affectionate Terms to Describe Children – Pedophiles have a fascination with utilizing definitions to describe children, for example “Angel, innocent, pure”, far more than anyone would, this can be a red flag.
- Imbalances – Mental or Mood Disorders – It does not mean a person suffering from a mental disorder they are a child abuser. Pedophilia falls under the classification as a psychosexual disorder, it can also be accompanied by other psychological and psychic diseases.
- A Good Relationship With The Victim – Pedophiles tend to be driven in developing and building strong friendly and welcoming relationships where the victims are manipulated in looking forward to spending time with the pedophile. They usually are determined with obsessively focused attention to the victim. They concentrate on a single target sometimes a couple, they work hard on achieving their goal, gaining the victims trust.
- Overly Friendly – Pedophiles thrive on building good relationships that are friendly, trusting, and safe relationships under the perception of being safe and family orientated.
- Collection of Various Types of – Pedophiles will have a collection of pornography, some may be with oppressor-oppressed, unlimited partners, same-sex, child, aggressive and punishment, snuff movies, child to adult erotic content.
- Provoking and Encouraging a Childs’s Anger Towards their Parent/s – Manipulating the child into believing the parents are being unreasonable and do not have the child’s best interests at heart.
- Encouraging Alone Time with the Child – Motivating the parent/s to look after the child, having alone time.
- Grooming the Child – Speaks for itself.
- Telephonic Communication – Ongoing communication.
- Video Media – Adult videos, and video calls revealing sexual exposure.
- Affection in Inappropriate Ways – Wrestling and touching inappropriately, kissing/inappropriate gestures, flirting.
- Bathing Together – Taking long baths with another person’s child or even with your child does happen when children are babies to develop bonding between parent-child. This should not continue as the child develops. A non-family member partaking in bathing with your child is unacceptable.
- Going on Drives Alone – Taking your child without permission or going on an outride alone with your child is provoking the pedophile to act.
- Visiting Childs Homes with No Parent Supervision – Any adult arriving at your home in the hope of looking after your child without being requested to do so is crossing the line.
- Child Staying Over for SleepOvers – It is not on for a child to stay over at another nonfamily adult’s house because the adult offered reasons i.e.. go on a date night and I will look after … you both need a date night out, I will look after … you can trust me I will take really good care of … look how … feels happy and safe at my place. When it comes to family look for any signs mentioned within this blog.
- Sharing the Same Bed – Some adults think it is sweet for an adult to sleep in the same bed as a child. A parent may perceive this as their partner or husband building a connection between their children.
- Internet Grooming – Viewing adult rated. Researching sexual-orientated topics creates the need to communicate with adult chats.
Prevention
The law is dedicated to fighting child abuse and identifying child offenders. Prevention is the cure, know your rights, understand what positive healthy boundaries are. Detect and identify a pedophile before it is too late. There are parental control apps available to set limitations on what children are viewing and researching and stopping inappropriate websites and platforms.