What To Do If Your Child Is Sexually Abused in Texas

What Are Common Warning Signs of Child Sexual Abuse?

Children, especially young ones, may not have the vocabulary or the courage to tell you or another trusted adult what is happening to them at a school, camp, church, or daycare center. Instead, they communicate through their behavior.

While every child reacts differently to traumatic events like sexual abuse, here are some common warning signs of sexual abuse that Texas parents should watch for:

Age-Inappropriate Sexual Knowledge: Using sexual vocabulary, demonstrating sexual behaviors with toys or other children, or understanding sexual acts that are far beyond their years.

Fear of Certain Places or Adults: Extreme reluctance or panic at the thought of going to a specific place, such as their daycare center, a certain classroom, or a summer camp, or being left alone with a specific caregiver or staff member.

Milestone Regression: A child who was previously potty-trained may suddenly start wetting the bed or having daytime accidents. You might also notice a return to thumb-sucking or extreme clinginess.

Sudden Changes in Behavior: Your normally happy and outgoing child may become suddenly withdrawn, aggressive, highly anxious, or depressed.

Unexplained Physical Signs: Unexplained soreness, bruising, or injuries, particularly around the genital area, or frequent complaints of stomachaches and headaches. This can also include signs that a child has a sexually transmitted disease.

Read more about red flags of sexual abuse in this article.

Where Can Child Sexual Abuse Happen?

Nearly 90% of child sexual abuse incidents involve someone the child or family knows and trusts, according to the nonprofit Prevent Child Abuse America. This means this crime against a child can occur in institutional settings where parents believe their children are safe.

Predators often seek environments where they have access to vulnerable children. Across Texas, these settings can include:

Daycare centers and preschools
Public and private schools
Churches, youth groups, and religious organizations
Summer camps, day camps, and after-school programs
Sports leagues, gyms, and other child-focused businesses

What Immediate Steps Should I Take to Protect My Child from Sexual Abuse?

If you suspect your child is being sexually abused anywhere in Texas, trust your instincts and follow these five steps to ensure their safety:

Ensure Your Child Is Safe: Immediately remove your child from the environment where the suspected abuse is taking place. Do not send them back to that school, camp, church program, or sporting event, and do not let them be alone with the suspected abuser.
Seek Medical Care for Your Child: Take your child to a pediatrician or the emergency room at a local Texas children’s hospital. Alert the doctors and nurses of your suspicions. They can provide the necessary exam and document any physical evidence of sexual abuse. Additionally, experiencing sexual abuse as a child can have long-term psychological impacts and mental health challenges that continue into adulthood. That’s why connecting your child with a child psychologist or counselor who specializes in child abuse trauma is important to help them process the incident(s) in a healthy way.
Report the Suspected Abuse: In Texas, you should immediately report suspected child abuse to local law enforcement, such as the police department or sheriff’s department. In addition, all instances of child sexual abuse should be reported to the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) by calling the Texas Abuse Hotline at 800-252-5400 or by using their secure online reporting portal. These reports will initiate independent investigations to uncover the truth and the full extent of abuse. (Often, sexual abuse of children is not an isolated incident, meaning there have been multiple instances.)
Document Your Concerns: Gathering evidence includes saving all communications with the organization or business when the suspected abuse has been discussed, from text messages to emails to written notes. After your child’s medical exam, request a copy of their medical records. You can also keep a journal of your child’s behavioral changes and physical symptoms, and record any conversations you have discussing the incident. (Use these tips to have an age-appropriate conversation with your child.)
Contact Our Experienced Child and Daycare Injury Lawyers: The Button Law Firm has a team of experienced and compassionate child and daycare injury lawyers, which is who you want on your side. We can help you focus on your child’s healing journey while we work to hold the predator and organization or business accountable for its safety failures that allowed your child to be victimized.

In more than a decade of advocating for Texas families, we have found that these criminal acts against children are easily preventable. Your family does not have to navigate this dark and complex legal journey alone. Get a free case evaluation by calling us at 214-699-4409, emailing us at intake@buttonlawfirm.com, or filling out a contact form.

How Can Texas Organizations and Businesses Be Held Accountable for Child Sexual Abuse?

When a child is abused at a school, camp, church, or daycare center, the individual abuser is not the only one at fault. Often, the institution itself enabled the abuse through negligence.

Organizations and businesses in Texas can and should be held legally responsible for:

Failure to Report: Ignoring the mandatory reporting laws in Texas when staff members suspect abuse is happening.
Lack of Supervision: Leaving children alone with an adult in isolated areas or failing to monitor staff interactions with children.
Ignoring Prior Complaints: Sweeping aside previous complaints from other parents or staff members to protect the institution's reputation.
Negligent Hiring: Failing to complete background checks or ignoring red flags on an employee's application.

How Can The Button Law Firm Help Your Family After a Sexual Abuse Incident?

Our compassionate team at The Button Law Firm is recognized on the prestigious Texas Super Lawyers list and has extensive experience helping families across Dallas, Houston, Midland, and other parts of Texas. We hold negligent organizations and businesses accountable for the unimaginable harm caused by child sexual abuse.

We handle these sensitive cases with the utmost discretion and care. (We even have a child advocate on staff to ensure your child’s well-being is prioritized throughout the legal process and beyond.) Our firm operates on contingency, which means you do not pay us anything unless we win your family's case. We are here to listen and help you determine the best way to help your family move forward after discovering your child has been sexually abused. Call us at 214-699-4409, email us at intake@buttonlawfirm.com, or fill out a contact form for a free case evaluation.

Schedule a Free Case Evaluation with a Dallas Personal Injury Attorney Today

If you've suffered serious injuries due to the negligence of someone else, you should speak to an experienced personal injury attorney as soon as possible. We know how difficult getting through this can be. That’s why our experienced team wants to help guide you – as we have helped guide many of our clients within Dallas and the surrounding areas.

You can give us a call at (214) 699-4409 or email us at intake@buttonlawfirm.com. Feel free to contact us online to schedule a free case evaluation by filling out the form below or by starting a chat with a member of our team.

What Should I Do If I Suspect My Child Is Being Sexually Abused?