A quarter of children who were victims of abuse by a child care provider Robert M. They still showed behavior associated with sexual assault eight years later. This is clear from the thesis The deepest wounds are those that cannot be measured Written by Fiona Tsang, published on Wednesday. This includes “in relation to sexual conduct.” Sexual behavior may be seen as troubling because of the nature, frequency or persistence that the child shows – for example, continuing when asked to stop.
Until 2010, Robert M. A babysitter and employee at the Amsterdam daycare center ‘t Hofnarretje, among others. His abuse came to light when a photo of a child wearing clothes with Miffy’s image surfaced during a US investigation into child pornography. The search led to Amsterdam. The case shocked the Netherlands and dominated the news for weeks. During the trial, “M” admitted to assaulting 87 children, explaining in detail the nature of the assault to which each child was subjected.
Also convicted of producing and distributing child pornography, M was sentenced to 19 years in prison and TBS with compulsory treatment. The issue has led to major adjustments in Dutch daycare centres: for example, the “four eyes principle” was introduced, which means that a childcare worker can only perform work if he or she can be seen or heard by another adult.
Extensive questionnaires
According to Tsang and other co-researchers, this dissertation is likely the first published study in which long-term sexual deviant behavior has been reported in children who were abused at a preverbal age — before they could speak. The results are based, among other things, on extensive questionnaires completed by parents over the years. It was previously known that a third of children showed abnormal behavior in the months after the abuse was discovered, such as defiant or anxious behavior during a physical examination.
This thesis supports the theory that troubling sexual behavior can be the result of abuse at a very young age. In the study, the doctoral candidate points to the “widespread misconception” that very young children do not build memories or face the consequences of abuse that occurred when they could not yet speak. The researchers, in consultation with parents, decided not to respond to media requests for further information.
The researchers’ questionnaires were completed repeatedly over eight years by 42 biological parents of 45 children, 14 of whom were brothers or sisters. In 37 cases, sexual assault on the child was legally proven, and in 8 cases there was strong suspicion that the child had been subjected to sexual assault. The average age at onset of maltreatment was 17.8 months.
The research also shows how parents have difficulty communicating with their children about abuse. In the ten years after the Amsterdam sex case was discovered, more than half of the parents in this study told their children in general or detailed terms about the abuse. According to the parents, this was one of the most difficult dilemmas they faced after the discovery.
Read also
Report of the trial of Robert M.
Conversations with parents
Conversations with parents who told the story show that often there was not one moment where the children were told everything, but rather the parents had several conversations over the years. They tailored the quantity and quality of information to their child’s development and were able to receive assistance from pedagogically trained caregivers. One mother said she was told at an early age that a “bad man” was in the house and took off his clothes and took pictures when he was not allowed to.
One reason to tell people, for example, is whether parents had told others about their child’s abuse when it was discovered in 2010. One mother told researchers that her child needed to know because others knew. “Honesty is best.”
The mother who hasn’t told (yet) told researchers that you can’t do any harm by what you don’t know. According to her, her child did not have any problems at that time. Researchers have noted that over the years, some parents have been torn between “telling” and “not telling.” One parent said of his doubts that once you tell it, it can never be reversed. The father said, It can be the other way around when you think you’ve made a mistake and it’s better to tell him.
Research shows that more than a quarter of parents themselves have complaints related to PTSD.
In her dissertation, researcher Fiona Tsang describes what struck her during her interviews with parents: “They showed that it is possible to find the silver (or gold) lining, even in times of despair.” One of the most important reasons parents wanted to contribute to research was “so that we as scholars and caregivers can better help other children and their parents in the future,” Tsang wrote in her thank you letter.
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