Common signs of child sexual abuse include pain or injury in private areas, sudden changes in behavior or mood, sleep problems, regression like bedwetting, fear of a specific person or place, and sexual knowledge that isn't appropriate for the child's age. If you suspect abuse, make sure your child is safe, report it to law enforcement or the South Carolina Department of Social Services, and get your child medical and counseling care. When abuse happens at a daycare, school, church, camp, or other organization, the organization may be legally responsible if it failed to protect your child.
No parent is ever prepared to face this. If you are reading this because something doesn't feel right, trust that instinct. This guide explains what to look for, what to do next, and how families in South Carolina can hold organizations accountable.
If your child was harmed while in the care of a daycare, school, church, or other organization, you don't have to figure out what to do next on your own. Call our office for a free consultation at 803-790-2800. Your conversation with our attorneys is confidential, and there's no obligation.
What Are the Warning Signs of Child Sexual Abuse?
Children rarely tell an adult directly that they have been abused. Many are afraid, confused, or have been told to keep a secret. Instead, the signs often show up in how a child's body, behavior, or emotions change.
Physical signs can include:
- Pain, itching, bleeding, or bruising in the genital area or mouth
- Difficulty walking or sitting
- Frequent urinary tract infections or unexplained stomachaches
Behavioral and emotional signs can include:
- Sudden fear or avoidance of a specific person, place, or activity
- Withdrawal, depression, or losing interest in things they used to enjoy
- Aggression, anger, or sudden mood swings
- Nightmares or trouble sleeping
- Regression, like bedwetting or thumb-sucking after they had outgrown it
- Changes in eating habits
- Refusing to change clothes in front of others
- Sexual knowledge, language, or behavior that isn't appropriate for their age
- Talking about a special adult friend or a secret they can't share
One sign on its own doesn't mean a child has been abused. Children go through changes for many reasons. But a pattern of these signs, especially around a particular person or place, is worth taking seriously.
Warning Signs in the Adult
Abuse often follows a process called grooming, where an adult builds trust with a child and their family over time. Watch for an adult who gives a child special attention or gifts, looks for ways to be alone with them, pushes physical boundaries, or encourages secrets. In an organization, these behaviors should be noticed and stopped by supervisors. When they aren't, that failure can become the basis for a civil case.
What Should I Do If I Suspect My Child Was Sexually Abused?
1. Make sure your child is safe. Remove your child from the daycare, program, or situation where you believe the abuse happened. If your child is in immediate danger, call 911.
2. Stay calm and listen. If your child tells you something, stay calm, believe them, and tell them they did the right thing by telling you. Avoid asking repeated or leading questions. Trained forensic interviewers are best suited to talk with your child about what happened, and their interview can become important evidence.
3. Report the abuse. Contact local law enforcement and the South Carolina Department of Social Services at 1-888-CARE4US (1-888-227-3487). If the abuse happened at a daycare, here's more on reporting daycare abuse in South Carolina.
4. Get medical care and counseling. A doctor can check for physical injuries and document them. A counselor who specializes in childhood trauma can help your child begin to heal.
5. Write things down. Record what you noticed, when, and anything your child said, in their own words. Keep texts, emails, and any communication with the organization.
6. Talk with an attorney before speaking with the organization's insurance company. Organizations often notify their insurer right away. Speaking with an attorney first helps protect your family's rights.
When Is an Organization Responsible for Child Sexual Abuse?
A criminal case holds the abuser responsible. A civil case is separate. It gives your family a way to recover the costs of your child's care and to hold accountable any organization that allowed the abuse to happen.
Organizations that care for children have a duty to keep them safe. In South Carolina, many professionals who work with children, including teachers and childcare workers, are also required by law to report suspected abuse. An organization may be responsible when it failed to:
- Run proper background checks before hiring employees or volunteers
- Supervise staff and children, including enforcing rules against one-on-one time alone with a child
- Act on complaints, warning signs, or prior reports about an employee
- Follow its own child protection policies or state licensing requirements
- Report suspected abuse as required by law
These cases often involve:
- Daycares and childcare centers
- Public and private schools
- Churches and religious organizations
- Summer camps and after-school programs
- Youth sports leagues and coaches
- Residential treatment centers and group homes
- Medical providers and therapists
Do We Have a Case?
Every family's situation is different, and the only way to know for sure is to talk with an attorney. In general, a civil case is strongest when the abuse happened while your child was in the care of an organization, and the organization knew or should have known about the risk.
Cases against an individual alone are harder. Insurance policies usually don't cover a person's intentional acts, so even when a civil judgment is possible, there may be no way to collect it. When we talk with your family, we'll help you understand whether an organization shares responsibility and what options make sense for you.
Claims against public schools and other government agencies follow the South Carolina Tort Claims Act, which has its own rules and limits on damages. That makes it especially important to speak with an attorney early.
What Compensation Is Available?
Childhood sexual abuse can affect a child for years. A civil case accounts for the full impact on your child's life, including:
- Past and future counseling and therapy, which is often needed long term
- Medical treatment
- Emotional distress and mental anguish
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Costs to your family, including time missed from work to care for your child
When an organization's conduct was reckless, South Carolina law may also allow punitive damages, which are meant to punish and deter. Here's more on compensation for parents when a child is injured.
What Does the Legal Process Look Like?
Parents often worry about what a lawsuit will ask of their child. Protecting your child's wellbeing guides every decision we make.
Investigation. We gather records on the organization's hiring, training, and supervision, along with prior complaints, licensing history, and incident reports.
Privacy. Families are often concerned about their child's name being made public. In many cases, lawsuits involving child victims can be filed using initials or a pseudonym.
Your child's involvement. Many cases resolve without a child ever testifying in court. When a child's account is needed, it can often come from the forensic interview, and anything further is handled with care and professional support.
Resolution. Many cases settle through negotiation or mediation, but we prepare every case as if it will go to trial. In South Carolina, a court must approve settlements for minors, which helps protect the money for your child's future.
Here's more on the steps in a lawsuit against a daycare and civil lawsuits for sexual assault in South Carolina.
How Long Do We Have to File a Claim?
South Carolina gives survivors of childhood sexual abuse more time than most injury claims. Generally, a lawsuit must be filed by the time the survivor turns 27, or within three years of discovering the connection between the abuse and the harm it caused, whichever is later. Claims against government entities may have different deadlines. Evidence and witnesses are easier to find early, so it's best to speak with an attorney as soon as you are able.
How Our Firm Helps Families
These cases require patience, care, and a thorough investigation. Our team takes the time to understand your child and your family, not just the facts of the case. We handle communication with the organization and its insurance company so your family can focus on healing. We keep you informed at every step and are always a phone call away.
Our firm has filed a lawsuit on behalf of a family against a Pawleys Island church and school, alleging that the organization's negligence allowed a child to be sexually abused. Read the press release.
Conversations with our attorneys are confidential. You owe no attorney fees or case costs unless we recover money for you.
If your child was abused while in the care of a daycare, school, church, or other organization, call our office for a free consultation at 803-790-2800. Learn more about our work as a child injury lawyer in Columbia.
Frequently Asked Questions About South Carolina Child Sexual Abuse Cases
Yes. A daycare, school, or other organization may be held responsible if it failed to screen, supervise, or protect your child, or ignored warning signs.
No. A civil case is separate from a criminal case and uses a different standard of proof. A civil case can move forward even if criminal charges are not filed or do not result in a conviction.
Not always. Many cases resolve without a child testifying in court, and families have options to protect their child's privacy and wellbeing throughout the process.
Generally, until the survivor turns 27, or within three years of discovering the connection between the abuse and the harm, whichever is later. Claims against government entities may have different deadlines.
Yes. Your conversations with our attorneys are confidential.