How can family counseling help?
Is your family going through a rough patch? Whether the issue itself, stems from a lack of understanding between those involved, sibling conflict, or developmental disagreements with a child, a difficult situation can have an effect on the entire family. Family counseling, or family therapy, can be helpful when problems arise and can help restore and improve communication.
Some situations that may benefit from family counseling include:
- If a family is going through a loss
- If a family member is suffering from substance abuse
- Issues between parents (parenting issues or going through a divorce)
- If a teenager is experiencing behavior issues such as anger outbursts
Protection from Pedophiles
Trust your own instincts! If your intuition speaks to you, consider it the Holy Spirit warning you. So when you hear the voice of the Lord - - Harden not your heart. Don’t let your child be around anyone who makes you feel uncomfortable.
Pedophiles are very sneaky predators. They do their evil work in the darkness of secrecy. No wonder secrecy is a demonic strategy to destroy humanity. Secrecy starts when parents don’t know the signs of child sexual abuse. Children, too, need to become educated about child sexual abuse so they can feel empowered with boundaries, which can help insulate them from predatory assaults. Only God knows the number of children targeted by pedophiles for sexual abuse but escaped the trauma because parents and children were “child sexual abuse informed.”
Besides being sneaky, sexual predators are very clever. Sly and clever like a fox, snake, or demon. While some use kidnapping, rape, and murder, others use less obvious strategies like deception, threats, playing, and other forms of coercion to sexually engage children and to maintain their victim’s silence. Pedophiles sometimes seductively groom victims by buying gifts or arranging outings to sports events. Other predators embed themselves in volunteer or employment situations, which give them access to many potential victims. Let’s not forget about all the stepfather pedophiles who sexually abuse their stepchildren. Any child, regardless of age, gender, race, ethnicity, etc., is vulnerable to sexual abuse. Your child may be targeted by a pedophile or is already a victim.
Teach your children the difference between healthy and unhealthy touches. Make sure children know that adults and older children never need help with their private body parts. For example, bathing or going to the bathroom. It is wise to teach them more than only “stranger danger.” because most children are abused by someone they know and trust. Teach children about body safety and healthy body boundaries. Start teaching your children about this issue as early as possible because some predators like preschool children. Always teach children accurate names of private body parts. Empower children to know they always have the right to say no when they don’t want to be touched, even in non-sexual ways. Besides focusing only on detection, it is imperative to focus on prevention and communication. Probably, the best time to talk to your child about sexual abuse is now. Right Now! An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of counseling.
Besides being a victim of crime, the sexual abuse victim is very traumatized by sexual abuse. How can a young mind process such a grave trauma? The short answer is they don’t process it well, and their young mind has many reasons not to disclose being sexually abused. For example, pedophiles threaten bodily harm to the child and/or their family, the child fears being removed from the home, they fear not being believed, and the child may worry about getting the pedophile trouble. Victims of sexual abuse sometimes think that the sexual abuse was their own fault, so they don’t disclose being victimized because they fear getting in trouble themselves. Some children are abused at such a young age they might not have the language skills to communicate about the abuse or may not understand that the actions of the pedophile are abusive. This is often the case when the sexual abuse is made into a game. Some children don’t disclose because of embarrassment, shame, or guilt.
If a child does disclose sexual abuse, it is very important to stay calm, listen carefully, and NEVER EVER blame the child. Thank the child for telling you and reassure them of your support.
How to Report Abuse or Neglect
Texas law requires anyone who thinks a child, a person 65 years or older, or an adult with disabilities is being abused, neglected, or exploited must report it to the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services at 800-252-5400. Or contact them online at https://www.dfps.texas.gov If you need immediate assistance or the child is in imminent danger, call 911.
How to Locate Sex Offenders in Your Neighborhood
Kids Live Safe Locate Registered Sex Offenders In Your Area. Receive Alerts When Offenders Move In & Out. Keep Your Family Safe & Informed of Potentials Dangers In Areas That You Frequently Visit. Sex Offender Search. Search By Address. Most Recent Data. Sex Offender Map. https://www.kidslivesafe.com
Texas Department of Public Safety The Texas Department of Public Safety has created searches for Texas Public Sex Offender Registry. These searches allow the public to search the registry for sex offenders registered in Texas. Find Detailed Reports Now. Get Full Public Record Reports Instantly With Unlimited Searches. https://www.dps.texas.gov
Texas Sex Offender Map Locate offenders in your neighborhood. https://publicsite.dps.texas.g...
The Signs of Childhood Sexual Abuse
There are signs you can look for to tell if your child has been or is currently being sexually abused? Children who have been sexually abused may display a range of emotional and behavioral reactions characteristic of most children who have experienced sexual trauma. Educated and vigilant parents need to know that sexually abused children may display the following:
The Physical Signs
Soiled, torn, or bloody underwear that can’t be explained
Urinary tract infections
Sexually transmitted infections
Signs of trauma to the genital area, anus, and mouth, like bumps and scabs
Other unexplained bleeding, bruising, or blood on the sheets
Abnormal vaginal or penile discharge is also a warning sign
The Behavioral and Emotional Signs
Sexual Awareness far beyond what is age-appropriate
New words for private body parts
Fear of specific people or places
Doesn’t want to be left alone with a particular individual(s)
Inappropriate sexual behavior or sexual play, like sexual activity with toys or other children
Psychiatric problems like depression and anxiety
Unusually irritable
Angry outbursts
Becomes unable to get along with others
Becomes unusually quiet or withdrawn
Has insomnia, nightmares, or night terrors
Restarts bed wetting
Changes in normal eating patterns
Restarts thumb sucking
Bathing or undressing causes fear
In conclusion, family therapy can be very helpful when sexual abuse has entered into a family. The damage affecting your child can reverberate and affect the whole family. Additional benefits of family counseling are that in some instances, the sessions can heal emotional wounds in a short period of time. The goal is to improve relationships and improve methods of communication and conflict resolution.