Daycare Sexual Abuse

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Lawyers for Daycare Sexual Abuse Victims

Entrusting the care of your child to another person is something most parents do at some point. Parents place their trust in daycare providers to safeguard their children when they return to the workforce. In-home daycare providers and daycare facilities have a big responsibility to provide supervision, play, and a safe environment for the children in their care. Any contact that is sexual in nature whether it be physical contact, sharing obscene images with a child, discussing sexual acts with a child, taking inappropriate photos or videos of a child, or exposing oneself to a child is considered sexual abuse.

Victims of childhood sexual abuse can suffer serious trauma and experience depression, anxiety, nightmares, fear of other people, failure to form relationships, and symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) to name a few issues. Licensed mental health professionals can offer a variety of psychiatric therapies to help a child heal and cope with the trauma of sexual abuse. In some cases, life-long therapy is necessary for the child to deal with developmental issues that arise after the abuse.

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National Statistics

The statistics on daycare workers, teachers, and administrators abusing children are devastating, yet they cannot be ignored. It’s understood that over 90% of children who are sexually abused at some point in their lives know their abuser. That could be a teacher or an aide in a daycare setting, for example.

Though most daycare centers aim to gather information and background checks to ensure that known abusers are not working in this environment, some still slip through the cracks. Sometimes it goes unknown that abuse is occurring. It’s estimated that up to 21.9% of children in daycare centers may be at risk for abuse.

CohenMalad, LLP can offer compassion and guide you in your time of need. If you or your child were the victims of abuse like this, reach out to our daycare sexual abuse lawyer for guidance and support. You are not alone.
It is important the children are educated and understand when to talk to an adult or parent about any sexual abuse that may have occurred. Parents should be aware of symptoms that may indicate their child is a victim of sexual abuse and take appropriate measures to open a dialogue with their child and get them whatever help is necessary.

Questions to Ask When Choosing a Daycare

When selecting a daycare for your child, the last thing you may be thinking about is the risk of sexual abuse. Yet, it occurs, and when it does, it creates long-term complications. Here are some questions to ask a potential daycare provider to mitigate this risk:

• Does the location perform a background check? If so, what type?
• Does the daycare center do any type of mental health evaluation for their applicants?
• Are there protocols in place to minimize the risk of abuse, such as a child never being alone with a single adult?
• What types of reports have been made by other parents to the daycare center in the past? What actions were taken?
• Have there been any claims in the past of violence or sexual assault within the daycare center’s history?

If you’re not sure or you simply cannot feel confident that your child is safe, do not send them there. If something occurred – even if you have asked all of these questions before – reach out to a daycare sexual abuse lawyer immediately for guidance and support.

Signs of Abuse

Signs of abuse from a daycare worker may easily be missed. As a parent, it is critical to keep an open conversation with your loved ones and work consistently to manage their care. Look for signs of abuse, such as the following:

• No longer wanting to go to daycare, especially if this is a new occurrence
• Physical trauma signs include swelling, bruising, or wounds on the genital area, bruising or other areas of pain on the body, including the back, buttocks, and legs
• Onset of bed wetting
• Difficulty with sleeping
• Crying or feeling sick and unable to go to daycare
• Not wanting to be around a specific person at the daycare
• Trouble walking, sitting, or going to the bathroom
• Receiving toys, gifts of any type, or special awards from a daycare
• Low self-esteem
• Nightmares

Any of these could be signs of trauma from abuse. If you suspect this could be happening with your child, take action immediately. Get them to a medical center for treatment, reach out to their doctor, and help them.

Allow our compassionate team to help you. Contact a daycare sexual abuse lawyer immediately for help and guidance.

Types of Abuse

There are many types of abuse that may occur in a daycare setting. Don’t assume that a lack of signs of physical abuse means nothing has occurred. Some of the most common types of abuse include:

• Visual abuse which occurs when photographs, videos, or other visual content with a sexual nature is used
• Physical abuse includes touching, fondling, kissing, tickling, excessive cleaning of genitals, intercourse, licking, oral sex, or brushing up against a child
• Covert abuse may include taking photos, stalking, following, or sexual harassment online
• Verbal abuse may also occur and may include any type of spoken or written word that could be considered sexual content

If you suspect any type of abuse like this, take action immediately. Contact a daycare sexual abuse lawyer to learn more about your rights and how to protect your child.

Sexual Abuse at a Daycare

A developmentally challenged pre-teen child was sexually abused by an adult stranger while at an institutional daycare facility. The adult stranger was not an employee of the facility and gained unauthorized access to the children and committed this act. In another case, an infant was sexually assaulted at a daycare by one of the company’s employees. The parents discovered signs of abuse and immediately sought treatment for their child and pursued legal action against the daycare for failing to properly supervise its employees and ensure the safety of the children in its care. Yet another daycare sexual abuse case involved a child under the age of ten years who was sexually abused by an adult employee of the before and after-school daycare program they attended. The parents discovered this abuse through conversations with their child and sought treatment for their child and chose to pursue legal action to get compensation to help their child with the necessary therapy to treat this trauma.

Resources for Survivors:

• RAINN
• After Silence
• The Center for Women and Families
• Disability Justice and Violence Prevention Resource Hub – Indiana Disability Justice

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Other Types Of Sexual Abuse Cases We Handle

We are proud to help families heal through the legal pursuit of sexual abuse claims. Here are a few more specific examples of cases we’ve handled.

• Adult on child sexual abuse
• Child-on-child sexual abuse
• Church sexual abuse
• Nursing home sexual abuse
• Residential treatment center sexual abuse
• School or sports organization sexual abuse
• Youth Sports Sexual Abuse

Claims Process

The claims process for daycare sexual abuse tends to be complex. Our team will work with you to uncover what’s occurred, gathering any evidence available. From there, we will work closely with you to determine who is at fault. This often includes not just the person perpetrating the incident but school officials that may not have taken steps to prevent it.

If necessary, we will go to court to protect your rights. Our daycare sexual abuse lawyer can also help you pursue a settlement.

Explanation of Damages

What can come from a claim like this? Many times, the damages you receive are dependent on the losses you’ve incurred. That may include:

• Psychological counseling costs
• Medical costs
• Pain and suffering claims

Allow our team at CohenMalad, LLP to provide a daycare sexual abuse lawyer to help you in your pursuit of legal action against the party that hurt you or your loved one.

Sexual Abuse Lawyers Who Understand

If you, your child, or someone else you know is a victim of sexual abuse or molestation, contact us. Our attorneys have been trained by mental health professionals so as to not revictimize the Plaintiff when telling his or her story. We have helped many families get compensation to pay for the help they need in order to heal after sexual abuse. We understand the sensitive nature of this type of lawsuit and prioritize our clients’ privacy and trust while fighting to get them the compensation they need to assist them in healing and coping with sexual abuse. Speak with us for free, with no obligation, today.