Veteran comedian Bill Cosby, star of the 80s Cosby show is in the news for the wrong reasons: sexual abuse.

Sexual abuse of minors has been on the rise not only in Nigeria but on a global scale, and parents must now acquire new skills to protect their children and wards against this trend.

Child sexual abuse remains one of the most insidious and damaging problems in our society. Protecting children from sexual abuse has to be a top priority for many parents and children’s rights advocates, but that isn’t always as easy as it sounds.

Victims seeking help are often dismissed. It is nearly impossible to prospectively determine who a sexual predator might be. Someone who looks “creepy” is no more an offender than a respectable person; as well, just because someone seems respectable does not eliminate him (or her) as a child molester.

Understanding the predatory sex offender is paramount to public safety, but it is equally important to know the types of children that paedophiles target. Molesters will often choose victims who are shy, vulnerable and needy, as well as those deemed socially troubled or isolated, because they know that such children desperately seek a friend.

Unfortunately, such children are submissive and inhibited, and so are unlikely to give the offender a hard time if he forces them into a sexual situation. They will also keep the secret, especially if bribed or threatened.

Child molesters are experts at masking their behaviour, which makes it hard to spot adults who may pose a threat to your child. The following are some things that child abuse attorneys suggest parents and child advocates learn about child molestation.

Common Child Sexual Abuse Myths

One of the first steps in recognizing and preventing child sexual abuse is to overcome common myths about how it happens. Common child sexual abuse myths include:

Stranger Danger. The media tends to over-hype kidnapping and sexual abuse cases perpetrated by strangers, leading the public to fear unknown adults when the real threat may lie closer to home. While it’s true that some children are molested by strangers, the vast majority are abused by familiar adults. Often, these adults hold trusted positions within the community. They might be Boy Scout leaders, clergy or other role models.

Violence and Sexual Abuse. While parents and children’s rights advocates may be on the lookout for bruises and other signs of violence, the truth is that child sexual abuse is only occasionally done in a violent or forceful manner. Most child molesters prefer to fly under the radar, and many lure children with kindness rather than violence.

How Child Molesters Operate

The next step in recognizing and preventing child sexual abuse is to understand the process child molesters tend to use. Here’s how a child molestation attorney describes the process:

Grooming. Many molesters follow a pattern that begins with the adult using his or her authority to gain a vulnerable child’s trust and ease his or her way further into the child’s life, often even befriending the family. This process can take months or years as the adult patiently grooms the child, showering him or her with attention and sometimes money or gifts. Children with low self-esteem or those who are starved for affection are common targets because they tend to respond well to the molester’s grooming process.

Physical Touching. Once the child becomes comfortable with the adult, then the physical touching begins although it typically seems innocent at first. This could involve hair tussling, a brief rubbing of the leg, or a quick hug.

Sexualized Touching. This critical phase is when the molester commonly determines whether the child will remain compliant during sexual abuse.