Let us look at some behaviors that may be warning signs that some form of sexual abuse has occurred or is occurring:

1. Signs of anxiety or excessive nervousness
2. Signs that child has fear of particular adult or older child
3. Depressed mood
4. Self-harming behaviors, including cutting one's self
5. Withdrawing from family or friends, isolative behaviors
6. Change in sleep patterns or bedwetting where there was no problem with such in the recent past
7. Expressions of pains or illnesses where there is no medical cause
8. Increased nightmares
9. Increased aggression
10. Drug use
11. Indications of pain in genital or anal areas
12. Increase sexualized behaviors, talk, or knowledge that are not age appropriate
13. Attempts to sexualize relationships with adults or other children
14. Onset of academic difficulties in school
15. Sudden change in dress, ranging from attempts to cover self to wearing sexualized outfits
16. Fear of going home from school or other activities
17. Touching of own genitals excessively and/or publicly