When children in youth sports programs have been sexually abused by a person in a position of authority, they might not immediately understand that something inappropriate and wrong has happened. Part of the problem is that children, especially young children, often implicitly trust people in authority, especially those in positions of power within school and/or sports settings. Children can have a difficult time accepting that an adult that they trusted would do something to harm them. As such, it is often up to an abused child’s parents to notice warning signs that sexual abuse has occurred.

Child sex abuse warning signs related to youth sports programs can include:

• Unusual amount of time spent with a particular sports official or coach.
• New interest in being around a specific sports official or coach.
• Sudden urgency to avoid any conversations about youth sports.
• Unexplained injuries, especially on or near private body parts.
• Sexually explicit photographs or videos on their phone or computer.
• Stories of any sort of touching between them and an adult in the youth sports group.

Please remember that this list of warning signs is not exhaustive. You should also remember that it is impossible for a minor, including teenagers, to consent to sexual contact with an adult. If your teenager has reported that they willingly engaged in sexual contact with a member of a youth sports organization, it is nonetheless sexual assault that should be addressed immediately and that could warrant a sexual abuse lawsuit.