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• Things to Know
• Behaviors to Watch
• Talking to Children
• Warning Signs
• PDF for Parents
• PDF for Children

Adult Behavior that may signal Sexual Interest in Children

Remember: Children are most often molested by someone they know, or whom the parents know. Do you know an adult or child who:

• Refuses to let a child set any of his or her own limits?
• Insists on hugging, touching, kissing, tickling, wrestling with or holding a child even when the child does not want affection?
• Is overly interested in the sexuality of a particular child or teen (e.g. talks repeatedly about the child's developing body or interferes with normal teen dating)?
• Manages to get time alone or insists on time alone with a child without interruptions?
• Spends most of his / her spare time with children and has little interest in spending time with someone their own age?
• Regularly offers to baby-sit many different children for free or takes children on overnight outings alone?
• Buys children expensive gifts or gives them money for no apparent reason?
• Frequently walks in on children / teens in the bathroom?
• Allows children or teens to consistently get away with inappropriate behaviors?
• Talks again and again about the sexual activities of children or teens?
• Talks about sexual fantasies with children and is not clear about what's okay with children?
• Encourages silence and secrets in a child?
• Asks adult partners to dress or act like a child or teen during sexual activity?
• Often has a "special" child friend, maybe a different one from year to year?
• Spends most spare time on activities involving children or teens, not adults?
• Makes fun of a child's body parts, calls a child sexual names such as "stud", "whore", or "slut"?

Source:"Because There Is a Way to Prevent Child Sexual Abuse: Facts About Abuse and Those Who Might Commit It", Joan Tabachnick, Editor, Stop It Now!, Haydenville, MA, 1998.