The writer says a small number of mothers become perpetrators of sexual abuse or facilitate the sexual exploitation of their own children.
FORE nearly four decades as a child protection practitioner at the Teddy Bear Foundation for Abused Children, I have witnessed the devastating consequences of child abuse in its many forms. While the overwhelming majority of mothers are loving, protective caregivers who sacrifice enormously for their children, there exists a deeply uncomfortable reality that society is often reluctant to acknowledge: a small number of mothers become perpetrators of sexual abuse or facilitate the sexual exploitation of their own children.
Although these cases are relatively infrequent in comparison to other forms of child abuse, they present profound challenges for child protection practitioners, law enforcement, the justice system, and society as a whole.
The rarity of these cases should not lead us to underestimate their significance. It is equally possible that they remain underreported because children have little agency to disclose abuse perpetrated by a primary caregiver, and because professionals and communities struggle to recognise women as sexual offenders. Deeply embedded social beliefs portray mothers as natural protectors and nurturers, making it difficult to imagine them as perpetrators of sexual violence. This creates a dangerous blind spot within child protection systems.
