Who Are The Victims?

• One in three girls and one in six boys are sexually abused before the age of 18

• 1 in 6 boys is sexually abused before the age of 18.

• One in 5 youth received a sexual approach or solicitation over the Internet in the
  past year.

• The average age for first abuse is 9.9 years for boys and 9.6 years for
  girls.

• Abuse typically occurs within a long-term, on-going relationship between the offender and victim, escalates over time and lasts an average of four years.

• Many child sexual abuse victims never disclose their abuse to anyone. Less than 12% of child sexual abuse is reported to the police.

• Children are most vulnerable between ages 7-13.

• 29% of all forcible rapes occurred when the victim was under 11 years
  old.

• 15% of sexual assault and rape victims are under the age of 12.

• 44% of sexual assault and rape victims are under age 18.

• Children with disabilities are 4 to 10 times more vulnerable to sexual abuse than their non-disabled peers.

• Nearly 30% of child sexual assault victims identified by child protective service agencies were between 4 and 7 years of age.

• 93% of juvenile sexual assault victims know their attacker, 34.2% of attackers were family members and 58.7% were acquaintances and only 7% of the perpetrators were strangers to the
  victim.

• Nearly 50% of all the victims of forcible sodomy, sexual assault with an object, and forcible fondling are children under the age of 12.

• 60% of girls who had sex before the age of 15 were coerced by males averaging 6 years their senior.

• Women who experienced sexual abuse as a child are 2 to 3 times more likely to be sexually assaulted later in life.

• Like rape, child molestation is one of the most underreported crimes: only 1-10% are ever   disclosed. Source: FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin.

• Fabricated sexual abuse reports constitute only 1% to 4% of all reported cases. Of these reports 75% are reported by adults. Children fabricate sexual abuse less than 1% of the
  time.

Why You Should Let Your Teen Wear What They Want

A large part of the transition from childhood to adolescence is learning to make decisions and handle new responsibilities. While your teen may bemoan more chores around the house or a growing workload in school, one area where many are excited to explore their newfound freedom is dressing themselves.

Middle school and high school are some of the first opportunities teens have to develop their personal style. With this, experimentation is bound to occur. Not only is how you dress a large component in how your peers perceive you, it’s also a crucial frontier for exploring one’s identity.

When talking with your teen about clothes, it’s important to remember how personal curating their wardrobe is to them and that they still have a lot to learn from you! From constructing outfits for different day-to-day weather, learning what’s in or out of season, and balancing comfort with style, the journey of developing a love for fashion is fraught with mistakes to be made that parents can help with. They may not see a problem with wearing their favorite T-shirt multiple days in a row or wearing basketball shorts to school through the winter months, but I bet you do. It’s important to guide your teen in a subtle yet affirming manner to help them look their best while also letting them find a style that feels uniquely their own.

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