FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 1, 2007
CONTACT: Chris Boyle, Public Relations Associate
860.545.9956 or pager 860.220.3569 

"CONNECTICUT CHILDREN’S MEDICAL CENTER OFFERS PARENTS ADVICE ON THE DANGERS OF SEXUAL ASSAULT AND ABUSE"

HARTFORD, Conn.—Even though it’s a dark subject, parents should educate their children on the dangers of sexual assault and abuse according to experts from Connecticut Children’s Medical Center.

Staff from CCMC’s Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner Program—also known as SANE—want parents to know that sexual assault can happen anywhere, anytime, and that parents should not only educate their children, but should know what the warning signs are as well.

“In 90 percent of sexual assault cases, the victims know their abuser,” said Jennifer R. Hiscoe, RN, MSN, CNS, SANE, coordinator of CCMC’s Forensic Nursing Department. “The abuser is a manipulator who often already has a relationship with the child.”
Karen Zott, RN, BSN, SANE, also is a coordinator of CCMC’s Forensic Nursing Department, and said that one of every four girls and one of every 10 boys will be sexually assaulted in their lifetimes. She added that 67 percent of total sexual assault victims are juveniles under the age of 18, while 34 percent of these victims are under age 12.

“While most of the physical harm is afflicted in the child’s genital area, sexual assault takes a huge emotional toll that carries over into adulthood,” Zott said. “It’s common for abusers to have been sexually assaulted as children themselves.”

CCMC’s SANE program provides an immediate response for victims under 18 who are admitted to the Emergency Department with the complaint of having been sexually assaulted or abused. The program includes SANES—registered nurses who have been specially trained to care for sexually assaulted patients. SANEs are available 24/7, conducting forensic exams and functioning as expert witnesses in sexual assault cases. Victims abused within a 72-hour timeframe should be seen by a SANE who collects and documents any vital evidence.

“SANE programs began nationally in the 1970s by a group of nurses who saw a lack of appropriate care for sexual assault patients seeking treatment in the emergency room,” Zott said.

Despite being a difficult subject for any parent to discuss, Hiscoe and Zott said parents should discuss the dangers of sexual assault and abuse with their children and they offer parents the following advice:

• Communicate with your child and talk to them often at an early age. Teach them the difference between a good touch (an adult giving them a bath) and a bad touch (rubbing or penetration of the genitalia).
  
• Use the right word for the right part body part—don’t use false or “cute” names for a penis or vagina.
  
• Encourage your child to be honest with you if they feel they might have been inappropriately touched.

• Continuous sleep disturbances
• Inappropriate sexual acting out for their age
• Bedwetting on a regular basis

If you suspect your child has been sexually assaulted or abused, bring them immediately to the Connecticut Children’s Emergency Department, 282 Washington Street, Hartford, Conn. For more information on CCMC’s SANE Program, please call (860) 545-8072.