My cousin was eleven years old when he started to abuse me.
An abuser does not have to be older to be considered an abuser. As a matter of fact, an abuser may even be much younger. While we're at it, an abuser may even be female. (I have heard of such cases... people just don't acknowledge it much.) Abusers don't have a particular age, sex, colour, or financial status. There is no simple "picture" of who a sexual offender is. An abuser is anyone who is in a position of control and power and uses it to their advantage to gain a sexual advantage, be it spouse, employer, family member, or stranger. As far as a legal standpoint, it all depends on the laws in your area. In my area, abusers are prosecuted by the laws at the time the abuse occurred, not present day laws. In the instance of my cousin, the laws at the time state that he had to be at least 12 years of age at the time he abused me to be prosecuted. |
