Page 8
The INDEPENDENT, January 2, 2004
Sexual abuse – how to keep kids safe
Recent media coverage of
child abuse cases has many
parents wondering how to keep
their children safe and what
signs to look for if they’re con-
cerned that their child may
have been sexually abused.
“It’s an uncomfortable topic,
but child sexual abuse is actu-
ally a common experience,”
said Deborah Wise, professor
at Pacific University’s School of
Professional
Psychology.
“Studies show that as many as
one in four girls and one in six
boys experience sexual abuse,
and it is important that children
have basic knowledge to pro-
tect themselves from potential-
ly dangerous situations.”
If children want to know what
sexual abuse is, parents can
explain, in a developmentally
appropriate manner, that child
sexual abuse is when a person
much older than the child
touches their private parts with-
out their permission, suggests
Wise.
“A parent might tell a child, ‘If
that ever happens to you, I
want you to know that it’s okay
to tell me, it’s not your fault, and
I will do everything in my power
to make you safe,’” she said.
“Children need to be able to
talk about their bodies in ways
other adults understand. They
need to be taught the correct
names for their body parts, and
the difference between ‘OK
touches’ and ‘not OK touches.’
Even very young children can
understand that hugs, kisses
and high fives are OK. It also
can be helpful to talk with chil-
dren about how they feel when
they’ve experienced an OK
touch,” she said.
“Children can typically un-
derstand that the body parts
that go under bathing suits are
private, and that anyone who
touches those parts (other
than, for example, a doctor ex-
amining a young child or a par-
ent bathing a child) is ‘not OK.’
They have to understand that
their bodies belong to them.
Parents can help them with that
too, by not making them kiss
family members they don’t
want to kiss, for instance. It’s
helpful if parents generate a list
of which adults it might be safe
to talk with if a child experi-
ences a ‘not OK touch.’
Wise also reminds parents
to let the child know that se-
crets about ‘not OK touches’
are not appropriate, and they
never need to keep those kinds
of secrets, no matter what any-
one says.
“Children should be told that
if they ever experience a ‘not
OK touch,’ they can say no, get
away as quickly as possible,
and tell an adult immediately.”
Children can exhibit many
different symptoms following
experiences of child sexual
abuse, and Wise notes that
these symptoms don’t neces-
sarily mean abuse has taken
place. However, symptoms that
have been commonly observed
among sexually abused chil-
dren include feelings of sad-
ness or anger, nightmares,
avoidance of certain people,
places or feelings, difficulty
concentrating, irritability, jumpi-
ness, and aggressive or sexual
acting out behaviors. In addi-
tion, children sometimes repeat
their sexual experiences in play
with toys, or talk about being
‘damaged’ or concerned that
something is wrong with them.
“Parents who suspect that
child sexual abuse has taken
place should ask their child
what’s wrong, and let the child
tell them in their own words,”
said Wise. “If a child does dis-
close sexual abuse, it’s very im-
portant that the parent or child-
care worker report the abuse to
local social service agencies,
who will investigate the allega-
tions. It’s the parent’s job to pro-
vide support and try to get the
child the help needed, not to in-
vestigate the allegations.”
Wise specializes in helping
children and adolescents cope
with experiences of child sexu-
al abuse. She may be contact-
ed at 503-352-2615 or by email
at <dwise@pacificu.edu>.
Pacific University’s Psycho-
logical Service Center provides
training to students who are
committed to careers in profes-
sional psychology and to deliv-
er high quality services to the
community. The Center pro-
vides psychological services to
children, adolescents, and
adults throughout the greater
Portland area. Intellectual and
personality assessment, neu-
ropsychological and vocational
assessment, individual child
and adult therapy, couples, and
family therapy, group therapy,
and consultation are offered.
T ERRY ’ S G YM
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Tobacco quit-line again in place
after state finds money to restart
After an eight-month hiatus,
Oregon’s Tobacco Prevention
and Education Program, which
is credited with saving lives and
money has been reinstated.
The reinstatement includes the
return of the toll-free Oregon
Tobacco Quit Line.
State budget woes caused
the Legislature last April to shift
voter-approved cigarette tax
revenues to the state’s general
fund. Partial funding of $5.815
million was recently reinstated.
“It’s good news for everyone
that tobacco prevention and
education efforts are back,”
said Mel Kohn, M.D., state epi-
demiologist in the Oregon De-
partment of Human Services.
“Tobacco use costs Oregon
more than $1.8 billion per year
due to premature death, illness
and medical costs. Eighteen
Oregonians die every day from
tobacco-related illnesses. This
program reduces these high
personal and financial costs.”
The tobacco prevention and
education program has gener-
ated considerable success
since its inception in 1996:
75,000 fewer adult smokers,
25,000 fewer youth smokers,
1.5 billion fewer cigarettes sold
annually and 60,000 fewer
adults using smokeless tobac-
co.
Part of the reason for this
success is the program’s toll-
free quit line. Callers first began
dialing up tobacco cessation
specialists in 1998. Since then,
more than 60,000 Oregonians
have called seeking help in try-
ing to stop smoking or chewing
tobacco.
Six month follow-up surveys
showed that more than 20 per-
cent of callers reported being
tobacco free, a success rate
more than double that of peo-
ple who try to quit on their own,
studies show.
Other components of the
overall program such as com-
munity, tribal, multi-cultural and
school-based efforts are set to
begin during early 2004.
The Oregon Tobacco Quit
Line toll-free number is 1-877-
270 STOP (7867), or Spanish
1-877-2 NO FUME (66-3863).
Presentation on
skin cancer for
Tuality seminar
An overview on skin cancer
will be presented during a Can-
cer Awareness seminar hosted
by Tuality Healthcare on Mon-
day, January 19, 6-7:30 p.m. at
the Tuality Health Education
Center, 334 SE Eighth Ave,
Hillsboro.
It’s never too early to plan
for next summer’s sunny days
– and the effect the sun has on
your skin. Thomas Gilberts,
M.D., internal medicine spe-
cialist, will discuss skin cancer.
Discover more about the
common types of skin cancer,
risk factors and warning signs
to be aware of, and how to help
prevent it.
Ike Says…
From page 2
the Blacktail numbers in our
area, though, this season
should have been scrapped
when ODF&W cut five days off
the rifle deer season.
I have been waiting and
watching the Healthy Forest
Initiative to see how it is sup-
posed to work. President Bush
signed this bill into law and now
we will get to see, first hand.
What I still have not figured out
is how, after we reduce the fuel
loads and harvest a few
(maybe a lot of) merchantable
trees in the process, we will be
able to call the job done. While
this initiative is being carried
out over twenty years, the un-
dergrowth will be growing right
back in behind the workers.
What are we going to cut down
for merchantable timber the
next time? We have to face the
fact that trees and brush are
going to grow and that fires are
going to happen; it’s the way it
is! What we can do is create
firebreaks around cities and
other sensitive areas, but we
will never be able to totally pro-
tect all of those who choose to
live in the forests.
Enjoy the outdoors in
2004, and have a safe
and happy New Year!
Izaak Walton League
Nehalem Valley Chapter
meets on the third Thursday
of each month at 7:00 p.m.
Call 503-429-7193 for
location of meeting.