Tragically, our courts and newspapers are too often filled stories about young victims of sexual abuse. But what about young perpetrators?
Experts have estimated that children are responsible for up to half of all child sexual abuse cases, with half of those committed by the victim’s sibling. According to a report in The Sydney Morning Herald, in New South Wales alone, 800 children between the ages of 10 and 17 are identified each year for causing serious sexual harm.
It’s statistics like these that have NSW Health worker, Dale Tolliday, calling for more clinics to help young victims recover and obtain the psychological services they need to minimise lifelong harm. Yet two years after a report recommended the doubling of such clinics, nothing has been done.
Tolliday is a clinical advisor to New Street, a public rehabilitation service for young sexual abuse offenders. The average age of his clients is just 13.
“It’s almost unbelievable for the average person, to think children would be capable of doing something like this,” he told The Sydney Morning Herald.
NSW Health worker Dale Tolliday is calling for more clinics for young sexual abuse victims. via Linkedin.
Tolliday reports that many of these young perpetrators have been exposed to violent pornography or are even victims of sexual abuse themselves. However, he believes that the main contributing factor to their behaviour is whether they have witnessed domestic violence.
"Most of these boys are carrying quite strong misogynistic, heterosexual stereotypes about entitlement and sexual behaviour," he said.
Freda Briggs, a child protection academic from the University of South Australia, told smh.com.au that it is important to clarify the distinction between so-called normal and problematic sexual behaviour in children.
She described the former as "you show me yours and I'll show you mine", while the latter tends to involve penetration and oral sex and is often characterised by secrecy, bribes and threats.
The true numbers of child-on-child sexual abuse cases is impossible to determine and sibling abuse even more so, as parents are usually hesitant to report their own child's behaviour to police.
Top Comments
I was sexually abused by my two older brothers and only had the courage to disclose to the rest of the family when I was 28 years old.... The ramifications for me have been huge, my parents chose to protect my brothers, abused my counsellor and completely failed to understand the impact it has had on my life. In order for me to move on I had no choice but to remove my parents and two older brothers from my lives, but I will live with what happened to me for the rest of my life and there is scarce help available.
I am not shocked at all siblings and step children have ready access to younger siblings at a time hormones are ripping though their bodies. I am an unfortunate victim of both my much older half brothers. I have moved on and let it go as the reality is they were kids themselves ( kids who were old enough to know better mind you). We are not close but I don't hate them. They had a much harder childhood then me and much much worse adult lives. I am grateful for my lovely family and career and self respect which neither of them have.
That's pretty awful and shouldn't have happened to you. Did you attempt to tell your parents?