It is esti­mated that a child is molested in this country every two minutes. Approximately one out of every four women and one out of every eleven men have been sexually abused. Despite what you see on TV, about 75% of victims know their abuser.

And although extreme violence can happen, it is unusual. The sexual abuse of children and adolescents may be invisible to many, but victims of abuse know the pain, shame and guilt it brings. Let’s make sure we understand the term: sexual abuse of a child is any form of sexual activity or talk in which an adult seeks sexual gratification from a child. To be more specific, you have been sexually abused if any of the following have happened to you as a child or adolescent:

• Someone showed you or touched his or her genitals.
• Someone made you show or touch your genitals.
• Someone asked you to undress in order to look at you or fondle you (touch you sexually).
• Someone contacted your genitals with his or her mouth or made you contact his or her genitals with your mouth.
• Someone forced you to masturbate or to watch as he or she masturbated.
• Someone penetrated your anus or vagina with fingers, penis or another object.
• Someone made you perform intercourse with him or her.
• Someone made you watch or participate in pornographic activities.

God hates sexual abuse. He created sex to be an act of mutual love between a husband and wife (see Gen. 2:24; Heb. 13:4). Any sexual activity outside this boundary is a violation of His will and design. This certainly includes an adult using a child for sexual gratification, as “innocent” as some adults may try to make their wrong behavior appear. Sexual abuse disrupts your normal process of emotional, social and sexual maturity. Sexual abuse confuses you about the meaning of true human love and God’s love. If you are the victim of some kind of sexual abuse, you have been wounded emotionally and possibly physically by a selfish adult.