According to the WHO, sexual exploitation of a child is "the involvement of a child in sexual activity that the child is not capable of fully understanding and giving informed consent to and/or to which the child is not developmentally mature and cannot consent in a legally valid manner and/or which is incompatible with the legal or moral norms of a particular society. Sexual exploitation occurs when the activity occurs between a child and an adult or a child and another child. The purpose of the activity is to satisfy the needs of another person.

Such activity may involve:

- persuading or coercing a child to engage in legally prohibited sexual activity,

- using a child for prostitution or other legally prohibited sexual activity,

- use of a child in the production of sexually oriented material or performances.

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Symptoms to be concerned about:

Physical:

- abrasions, haematomas, bruises in intimate areas

- inflammation of genital organs

Psychosomatic:

- insomnia

- speech disorders

- lack of appetite

- headache

- anxiety

- abdominal pains

Mental:

- low self-esteem

- depression

- difficulties in making contact

Symptoms such as shame of undressing, self-mutilation, nail biting, hair pulling, self-inflicted pain are also very important.

If you notice such symptoms in your child , try to start a conversation with him/her. Don't ask a lot of questions in the first attempt. Let's let the child feel that we support and understand him.

If it turns out that our child has experienced sexual aggression from an adult, it is necessary to see a psychologist and give the child special care.