Short messages on Relationships issues from Respect Yourself, the guidance site for young people to help make good decisions in life.
Sexual abuse includes: grooming a child with the intention of sexually abusing them; all forms of penetrative and non-penetrative sex; sexually exploiting a child in return for gifts, money or affection; and making, looking at and distributing indecent images of a child.
In the UK, four out of five children aged 11-17 (82.7%) who experienced contact sexual abuse from someone around their own age did not tell anyone else about it.
Sexual abuse involves forcing or enticing a child or young person to take part in sexual activities. It does not necessarily involve violence and the child may or may not be aware of what is happening.
Neglect may involve a parent’s or carer’s failure to: provide adequate food, clothing and shelter; protect the child from physical and emotional harm or danger; supervise the child properly; make sure the child receives appropriate medical care or treatment.
One in seven children aged 11-17 (13.3%) have been neglected. Almost one in ten (9.8%) have experienced severe neglect.
Neglect is persistently failing to meet a child’s basic physical and/or psychological needs resulting in serious damage to their health and development.
Always choose to be true to yourself, even at the risk of incurring ridicule from others, rather than being fake and incurring the pain and confusion of trying to live a lie.
Don’t let people interrupt you and tell you that you can’t do something. If you have a dream that you’re passionate about, you must protect it.
Around one in five (18.6%) children aged 11-17 have been severely maltreated. More than one in eight children aged 11-17 (13.4%) have experienced severe maltreatment by a parent or guardian.
Child abuse happens when an adult inflicts harm on a child or young person. There are four broad categories of child abuse: physical abuse, sexual abuse, neglect and emotional abuse.