Dallas Texas Child Care Sexual Abuse | What Signs to Look For

For many working parents in Dallas Tx, finding reliable child care is a necessity. Parents go to great lengths to identify facilities they feel they can trust to meet their child’s needs and protect their health and safety in their absence. And while the vast majority of child care centers deliver professional and compassionate care to the families they serve, child sexual abuse attorneys serving Dallas Tx know that tragic incidents of abuse can still occur. In fact, the state of Texas reports that as many as 67,000 children will suffer some form of abuse throughout the state each year.

While it is devastating for any parent to learn that their child has been the victim of sexual abuse within a child care facility, working with a qualified lawyer to understand one’s legal options after an incident can help. The Texas child injury lawyers at Carabin Shaw have experience helping parents file civil claims that may allow them to recover the compensation needed to assist their child in recovery.

Unfortunately, the signs that a child is being abused by a daycare worker are not always obvious. In some instances, parents will easily recognize physical symptoms of sexual abuse and be able to intervene quickly. In these cases, it is important that parents get their children to a medical facility as soon as possible, as well as report the abuse to the police or other state authorities.

More frequently, however, parents will have to pay close attention to sometimes subtle changes in a child’s mood or behavior in order to detect that abuse is taking place. Because many perpetrators use intimidation tactics to keep children silent, parents and other guardians shouldn’t expect that a child will necessarily vocalize the fact that they are being harmed.

The following is a list of some of the most important signs parents can look out for to detect that their child may be a victim of Dallas Texas child care sexual abuse:

• Resistance to being dropped off at daycare or fear of being left alone with non-family members
• Changes in sleeping behaviors, including bed-wetting and nightmares
• Redness, swelling, or other trauma in the genital areas
• Torn or soiled clothing
• Contracting a sexually transmitted disease
• Incorporating inappropriate sexual acts or gestures during play
• Sudden mood swings or evidence of aggressive behavior

After reporting that abuse has occurred and attending to a child’s immediate medical needs, parents will want to speak with a specialized attorney to determine their legal options. Generally speaking, sexual abuse offenses will be prosecuted through criminal cases first, during which defendants can be sentenced with prison time or other penalties. After a criminal case has been settled, victims and their families will have the option of pursuing a civil lawsuit designed to help recover damages associated with the child’s abuse.

While the settlements resulting from each Dallas daycare abuse case will be unique, victims can generally expect to be compensated for economic and non-economic damages. These can include expenses associated with medical treatments and mental health services as well as the less tangible costs of abuse, like ongoing pain, suffering, and psychological trauma.

If your child has been the victim of sexual abuse at a child care facility in Dallas, don’t delay speaking with the Texas child injury lawyers at Carabin Shaw about your legal rights.

Our English and Spanish-speaking staff are available 24/7 to ensure that clients get the assistance they need as quickly as possible. Call us at 800-862-1260 today to get started with a free case review.