The act of adults exploiting their position of trust to sexually molest children is utterly despicable. It might take years, even decades, for survivors of child sexual abuse to fully comprehend and accept their past experiences. The flood of negative emotions, including anger, guilt, embarrassment, and shame, continues to affect victims throughout their lives, often causing hesitation in speaking the truth.
If you or someone close to you experienced such abuse as a minor, don’t hesitate to reach out. Let the dedicated child sexual abuse lawyers at Libra Law Firm aid you on the path to justice. Contact us today at (888) 565-3214.
The Frequency of Child Sexual Abuse
Unfortunately, child sexual abuse happens far more often than we wish to realize. The sobering data from Child Protect, an organization committed to aiding child abuse victims, confirms this:
- By the age of 18, one out of five boys and one out of three girls will suffer sexual abuse.
- Only a third of incidents of child abuse and neglect are actually reported and exposed.
- 3.6 million child abuse cases are reported across the United States each year.
The state of California isn’t spared from this issue. In 2017, Los Angeles and Newport Beach had more than 220,000 of these cases, according to the Children’s Bureau, a progressive and respected leader in child abuse prevention.
The Consequences of Childhood Sexual Abuse
The distressing repercussions of childhood sexual abuse can affect survivors well into adulthood. Such traumatic experiences may cause physical harm and often result in changes in brain structures as well. Some of the enduring psychological or emotional outcomes could include:
- Major depression
- Anxiety disorders
- PTSD (Post-traumatic stress disorder)
- Psychosis
- Drug addiction
- Dissociative disorders.
The trauma caused by child sexual abuse can be profoundly damaging. However, there’s hope. By using therapeutic interventions and nurturing environments, survivors can effectively move past the trauma, becoming resilient individuals who can lead hopeful and happy lives.
Understanding the Reality of Childhood Sexual Abuse
We are slowly starting to gain a clearer picture of the common profile of a child molester. Childhood sexual abuse is predatory, but unfortunately, the predators are often much closer to us than we might imagine.
In our communities, there may be individuals who have easy access to and can easily target our most defenseless members. Alarmingly, up to 93 percent of molesters know their victims. These predators can be:
- Religious leaders
- Teachers
- Neighbors
- Foster parents
- Day care workers
- Coaches
- Scout leaders
- Police officers
- Health care providers
- Family members
- Other youth workers.
Molestation is more than the physical harm of a child – it’s the betrayal of the child’s trust. It’s devastating to acknowledge but molesters are skilled in manipulating and intimidating their victims into keeping quiet. Their control is so compelling that victims often feel they share some blame for the abuse.
If you or your child has suffered from childhood sexual abuse, seek counsel from an experienced child sex abuse lawyer in Newport Beach. You may have the right to legally hold the abuser accountable. At Libra Law Firm, we have years of compassionate experience to ensure that you or your child can bring the abuser to justice and gain the closure you deserve.
Child Sexual Abuse and the Responsibility of Institutions
Sexual molestation of minors is such a sensitive topic that many organizations prefer to ignore or deliberately conceal accusations against their members. This is usually done to avert any possible damage to their reputation. We’ve witnessed this issue in the Catholic church, USA Gymnastics, several universities, and Boy Scouts of America.
Thankfully, these institutions, businesses, and all other entities can be made answerable for their negligence concerning the abuse. At Libra Law Firm, we work rigorously to represent victims of child molestation and their loved ones, ensuring they receive the legal remedies they rightfully deserve.
Empower Your Child and Safeguard Potential Victims of Sexual Abuse
As a parent, learning about your child’s sexual abuse in a setting like a school, camp, or church is a devastating experience. Understandably, you may grapple with feelings of shock, sorrow, and anger. The question of how to aid your child’s recovery might leave you feeling even more helpless.
A crucial step you can take to empower your child and secure the safety of others is to face your child’s abuser and the organization that consented to the abuse. This can be accomplished through filing a civil lawsuit related to sexual abuse. An experienced childhood sexual abuse attorney in Newport Beach can provide valuable guidance and assistance in taking this significant step.
The Role of a Lawsuit in Child Molestation Cases
Child molestation is a crime, and the law provides various measures to bring these heinous acts to justice. Those found guilty by the judicial system could face criminal charges, fines, mandatory registration as sexual offenders, and even imprisonment. However, these punitive measures primarily focus on penalizing the offender, with little emphasis on aiding the victim’s recovery process.
For a more comprehensive form of justice, victims or their families can pursue a civil lawsuit. This process allows them to seek financial reparation for the pain and suffering they endured due to the molestation. The awarded compensation can assist the victim and their family in recovering damages such as:
- Medical expenses incurred due to the abuse
- Costs for counseling and therapy resulting from the abuse
- Emotional trauma endured by the victim
- Pain and suffering experienced.
Even if the abuser was not criminally convicted, or if the State did not pursue a case, you still can push for justice through a civil lawsuit. A civil case doesn’t require as much evidence for your claim as a criminal case, making it simpler and sometimes more effective for survivors seeking justice.
Filing a Lawsuit Against a Sexual Predator
If you’re a parent of a sexually abused child, you may be experiencing feelings of confusion, anger, and fear. Taking legal action against the abuser can bring justice in several significant ways:
- It helps expose the abuser, giving you a sense of empowerment that you’ve made the tough decision to hold them accountable for their cruel actions.
- By speaking out publicly against the abuser, you’re taking a stand to protect future potential victims from being targeted.
- Employers and organizations will be forced to take responsibility for their employee’s actions, encouraging them to screen their employees more thoroughly in the future and to implement safety measures to prevent such incidents from happening again.
- You’ll seek justice against businesses or institutions that had a legal obligation to inform the authorities about child abuse, but failed to do so.
- You’ll convey a powerful statement to all companies, groups, or people who either harm children or conceal child abuse, saying this conduct is unacceptable and will be penalized under the law.
Libra Law Firm Can Help – Child Sexual Abuse Survivor Attorney in Newport Beach
Child molestation survivors and their families might substantially suffer due to the individuals committing these unforgivable acts and the organizations tolerating their actions. Thankfully, courses of action exist to bring such individuals and entities to account.
The caring legal advocates at Libra Law Firm can assist child abuse survivors. We’ll help you confront not only those who’ve wronged you, but also the organizations that enabled their actions. You are entitled to regain control and your right to speak up.
Initiating legal proceedings against the person who caused you or your child harm may not erase the emotional pain, but it can alter the direction of the remainder of your life. The sense of empowerment can redefine your perception of yourself and the world around you. Your courage to hold your offender responsible also contributes to preventing future harm to other children by this person.
Get in Touch with a Skilled Child Sexual Abuse Victim Lawyer – Newport Beach
To further explore how we can support you and your child, contact Libra Law Firm’s experienced child sexual abuse lawyers at (888) 565-3214. We’ll provide you with a free and confidential consultation. We can examine your legal avenues, provide methods to safeguard your privacy, and assess how this entire process can aid your journey towards recovery.
