When a child is victimized by sexual abuse, the consequences often include long-term emotional damage and sometimes permanent physical injury. The widespread coverage of scandals involving sexual abuse of children at respected institutions like the Catholic Church and distinguished universities like Penn State serve as a reminder that child abuse can be present in places that parents would least expect to find it. Even more alarming is that most child sexual abuse is not perpetrated by an anonymous stranger but by close and trusted friends and family. It is estimated that more than seventy percent of children who are sexually abused are victimized by immediate family member or someone very close to the family. If your child is the victims of child sexual abuse in Mississippi, the dedicated and compassionate team of Mississippi sexual abuse injury attorneys at Barrett Law is committed to tenaciously seeking justice and financial compensation for children that have been sexually exploited.
According to the American Psychological Association, there is no precise universally accepted definition for sexual abuse of children. However, child sexual abuse is characterized by adults using their dominant position over children to permit them to engage in sexual activity toward a child. Sexual abuse of a child may include both physical and non-physical conduct including:
- Fondling or causing a child to fondle genitals
- Oral contact with the genitals
- Intercourse
- Digital penetration
- Exposing genitals to a child
- Displaying pornography to a child
While this list is hardly complete, it provides an overview of the types of conduct that may form the basis for a Mississippi personal injury lawsuit based on the sexual abuse of a child. A civil lawsuit for personal injury has some overlap with a criminal case but has somewhat different objectives. A criminal case is designed to punish the sexual offender by imposing criminal sanctions like incarceration and to discourage similar misconduct in the future. While the purpose of a civil lawsuit also has a punishment and deterrent component in terms of inflicting financial penalties on a child abuser, the primary function of a civil lawsuit is to obtain fair financial compensation that will permit a child who has been sexually exploited to seek counseling and other resources and maintain the best possible quality of life.
The recent scandals regarding institutions where child abuse might least be expected reflects the widespread and lasting impact of child abuse. Studies indicate that almost one-third of all children have been sexually abused by the time they reach the age of 18. Tragically, many of these victims are younger than the age of seven. The lasting effects of child abuse are evident in a variety of facts and statistics including the following:
- Abused children are 53 percent more likely to face a juvenile arrest
- Children subject to abuse exhibit a much higher rate of depression and suicide
- Children that are abused are 38 percent more likely to commit a violent crime
- Sexual abuse victims test lower in IQ and academic performance
If your child is the victim of sexual abuse, you or your child may have a right to seek financial compensation in a Mississippi personal injury lawsuit. Depending on the specific facts of your situation, our experienced Mississippi personal injury attorney may be able to seek damages from the perpetrator and anyone that permitted the conduct despite a legal duty to protect the child from such abuse. For example, lawsuits against Catholic priests that have committed sexual abuse and Penn State football coach Jerry Sandusky also name the Archdioceses and Penn State University respectively. The experienced Mississippi personal injury attorneys at Barrett Law have been providing tenacious representation to personal injury victims for over 75 years. We provide diligent legal representation and impassioned advocacy so we invite you to call us today at 662-834-2376 to learn how we can help.