Report abuse
Child Rape, Sexual Molestation, or Other Form of Sexual Abuse
Sexual abuse of a child is never the child’s fault. If it has happened to you, or to a child you know, you can get help and you can report it. This page explains what it is, how to respond if a child tells you, how to get care and support, and how to report it safely.
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If a child has been abused
Four things to do right now
You do not need proof, and you do not need all the answers. Start with the child’s safety.
If a child is in immediate danger, call the national police hotline on 1288 or contact your local police for help.
Understand
What is child sexual abuse?
Child rape is forcing a child to have sex against their will, often with physical force or violence.
Child sexual molestation is involving a child in sexual activity, such as touching the child’s genitals or molesting the child for sexual gratification.
These are two forms of child sexual abuse. A child is anyone under 18, boy or girl. Sexual abuse also includes:
- Making a child touch an adult, or touch themselves, in a sexual way
- Showing a child sexual pictures or acts, or exposing oneself to a child
- Sexual comments, kissing or touching that makes a child uncomfortable
- Using a child for sexual pictures or videos, or showing a child on camera. See CSAM and live-streaming.
Consent
A child cannot consent to sexual activity with an adult, or with an older or more powerful person. Under the law of Cambodia, the age of consent is 15 years. A child who does not fight, cry or say no has not agreed. Fear, trust, gifts, shame or threats can stop a child from speaking.
It is a crime
Sexual abuse of a child is a serious crime. It does not matter who the abuser is, whether they are a stranger, a relative, a teacher or someone respected.
Who is affected
It can happen to any child
Girls and boys, children of any age, in any family, village or school can be abused. Most children are abused by someone they know and trust, such as a relative, a neighbour, a family friend, a teacher, a coach or another young person, and not by a stranger. This is why it is hard for children to tell. They may love the person, fear them, or fear that no one will believe them.
Children are at greater risk when they are alone with an adult for long periods, when they are poor or in need, when they have little protection from adults, or when they have been groomed. See the grooming page.
The harm can be physical, emotional and social. With support, believing adults and a safe place, children can heal.
Clear the confusion
Myths and facts
Myth
- “It is always a stranger.”
- “The child would have fought or shouted.”
- “If it was not violent, it is not abuse.”
- “Boys are not abused.”
- “The child is to blame, or lied.”
- “It is better to keep it quiet to protect the family’s name.”
Fact
- Most abusers are known to the child.
- Children often freeze, stay quiet or go along because they are afraid or confused.
- Abuse is often done with trust, gifts, pressure or threats, not force.
- Boys and girls are both abused, and boys are often less likely to tell.
- Children rarely lie about sexual abuse. Believe them and get help.
- Silence protects the abuser. Speaking up protects the child and other children.
Warning signs
Signs a child may need help
Many children do not say what happened. They may show it in other ways. A sign on its own does not prove abuse, but a change that lasts is a reason to gently check in and to ask for advice.
In the child’s body and health
- Pain, bleeding or injury in the private parts, or trouble sitting or walking
- Frequent stomach pain, urinary problems or infections, or a pregnancy
In feelings and behaviour
- Sudden fear of a person or place, or not wanting to be alone with someone
- Nightmares, bed-wetting, sleep problems, or fear of the dark
- Withdrawal, sadness, anger, or school problems
- Sexual words, games or knowledge that do not fit the child’s age
- Self-harm, running away, or talk of not wanting to live. Take this seriously and stay with the child.
- Gifts or money, or secrets with an older person
If a child tells you
How to respond
How you respond can shape how the child recovers. Your calm, belief and care matter most.
Do
- Stay calm. Find a quiet, private place and listen.
- Say: “I believe you. It is not your fault. You did the right thing to tell me.”
- Let the child say it in their own words, at their own pace.
- Be honest about what you will do next, and keep the child safe from the abuser.
- Write down what the child said, in their words, after the talk.
- Get medical care and support, and report. See below.
Do not
- Panic, show anger at the child, or say “why didn’t you tell me?”
- Ask many questions, push for details, or ask leading questions.
- Ask the child to repeat the story again and again to different people.
- Promise to keep it secret. Say you will tell only people who can help.
- Confront the abuser alone, or send the child back to them.
- Blame the child, or tell them to forget it.
If this happened to you, it is not your fault, whatever you did or did not do, and however long ago it was. You are allowed to feel afraid, angry, numb or confused. You can tell APLE in secret, and we will talk through your options before anything happens. For help with pictures or video of you, see the sextortion page.
Care and safety
Health care and staying safe
Medical care
If the abuse happened recently, or the child is hurt, in pain or unwell, take them to a doctor, hospital or health centre. Some medicines, for example to prevent infection or pregnancy, work best if taken soon after, so do not wait. A health worker can also treat injuries and check the child’s health, and the child has the right to be treated kindly, in private, with someone they trust beside them. If you are unsure where to go, call APLE and we will help you find the right place.
You do not need to wash or clean anything to “prepare”. Do what the child needs to feel safe and comfortable, and do not let worry about evidence delay care. Keep any clothes the child was wearing in a clean bag, if possible, and tell the health worker what happened only as much as you know.
Safety
Make sure the child is not left alone with the person who abused them, and that the child has a safe place to stay. If the abuser lives in the home, or is a relative or someone with power, call APLE or the police for advice before you speak to them.
Support
Children recover best when they are believed, safe and supported. APLE offers free, confidential counselling and legal support for survivors. A counsellor or trusted adult can help the child with fear, shame, sleep and school. Tell the child that they will not be punished and that they will not be left alone.
Build your skills
How to report abuse
What helps
- Who the child is (age, name if you know it and the family is willing), and who may have done it.
- When and where it happened, and whether it is still going on.
- What you know, in your own words: what the child said, what you saw, and any injuries or changes you noticed.
- How to contact you or the family, if you wish.
You do not need proof, and you do not need to be sure. Write “I do not know” where you are unsure. Do not question the child over and over to find out more: trained people will do it gently later.
Where to report
- APLE: call 092 311 511 at any time, chat with Pisey, or use the form on this page. You can stay anonymous.
- The police: call 1288 if a child is in danger now, or contact your local police.
- A child protection lead or social worker at your school or organisation.
What happens next
A trained APLE team member reads or hears your report and talks through the options with you. Where a child needs protection, APLE can help with safety, with counselling, and with the police and the justice process, at the family’s pace and with the child’s best interests first. If you leave contact details, they are kept confidential and are not shared without consent.
Families are sometimes pressed to accept money or an agreement to drop a case. Please talk to APLE before agreeing to anything: the child’s safety and right to justice come first.
Keeping children safe
How to protect children
Prevention is a conversation that continues, not one talk.
Parents and caregivers
- Teach children the correct names of body parts, and that their body belongs to them.
- Teach the difference between safe and unsafe touch, and that no adult should ask them to keep a secret about touching, gifts or pictures.
- Say often: “You can tell me anything, and you will not be in trouble.”
- Know who your child is with, online and offline. Be careful about long periods alone with one adult.
- Listen when a child says they do not want to be with someone, and ask gentle questions.
Schools and organisations
- Have a clear child protection policy and a named child protection lead, and train staff and volunteers.
- Check the background of staff, avoid one-to-one situations behind closed doors, and have a clear way for children to report.
Communities
- Speak openly. Do not shame a survivor or protect an abuser. Support families who report.
More guidance is on our parents and educators page.
Practise
What would you do?
Read each situation and decide what you would do. Then open it to compare.
Say out loud what you would do, then compare. The aim is to listen, believe, keep the child safe, get care and report.
Listen calmly and believe her. Tell her it is not her fault, and that you will get help from people who can keep her safe. Do not promise secrecy. Tell your child protection lead the same day, and report to APLE and the police.
Listen without judging, and make sure the boy is safe and seen by a health worker. Explain that help is confidential and that the family does not have to decide alone. Encourage her to call APLE.
Say you believe them, and that you care about them. Explain that you cannot keep this secret because they need help. Offer to go with them to tell a trusted adult, or tell one yourself. Call APLE if needed.
Keep the child away from the person, in a safe place with a trusted adult. If anyone is in danger, call 1288. Do not confront the person. Report to APLE and the police.
Questions
Questions people ask
No. Reporting is the right thing to do, and you can stay anonymous. APLE will help you, not blame you.
Report what you know, or call to talk it through. You do not need proof, and you do not have to be sure.
Be honest: you cannot keep it secret because you want to keep them safe. Say you will only tell people who can help, and tell the child what will happen next.
No. Trained people try to keep this to a minimum, and the child can have a trusted adult with them. APLE can explain what to expect.
It is the family’s right, and you do not have to decide alone. APLE can explain what happens, help with the process and support the child. If a child is in danger now, call 1288.
Any time. If it was recent, see a health worker as soon as possible. If it was long ago, it is still never too late to get support.
APLE’s services are free.
Call APLE. We can help you think about safety first, and about what to do next. You do not have to face it alone.
Yes. Boys are abused too, and they may find it hard to tell because of shame or fear of not being believed. They need the same care and belief.
Children can hurt other children. Both children need help: the child who was hurt needs safety and care, and the child who caused harm needs adult guidance and support. Call APLE for advice.
Keep them safe, listen without pressure, keep routines like school and play, and get counselling. Be patient. Healing takes time, and the child is not “damaged”.
Anyone: a child, a friend, a parent, a teacher, a neighbour, a health worker. You can stay anonymous.
Report
Report abuse to APLE
Anyone can report. You can stay anonymous. Not sure what to write? See “How to report” above.
Prefer to talk? Call 092 311 511 at any time, or chat with Pisey. If a child is in immediate danger, call the police hotline on 1288.
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