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Was I sexually abused?

I am 28.

Since I was a little girl, I was into sexual stuff. I remember masturbating or just touching myself down there when I was 6-7 and even when I was around 10.

I remember faintly that my mom caught me and a guy friend who was also a child touching others private parts. I dont remember clearly but there's one thing I remember which is how much my parents hated that guy. He was also between 6-10 years old and they used to call him a pervert.
They never told me what happened but I do remember that both of us were touching each others genitals.

My mom also told me that a cousin had undressed me when I was 5 years old. She said she didnt see him do anything but she had noticed that he had changed all my clothes.

Now, when I reflect on these incidents, I feel I have been sexually abused? Because how can a child know about such stuff unless they have been introduced to sexual acts before?

Reply 1

iaterawbacon

Same here but im 12 and never had that happen but a boy on bloody year 5 asked me if i started touching my self

Reply 2

liam.ro

Given what you've provided, I don't personally think so.

At the sort of age you described, you're completely capable and bound to remember any unpleasant interactions, especially considering how unfamiliar and evocative sexual ones are, let alone when you're young.

The former encounter seems like the sort of thing you hear the occasional handful of curious kids do when they're growing up – naturally, children starting to wonder what exactly private parts are is not so uncommon. The latter also seems like a rather pure family interaction, just an older cousin offering to help his younger cousin get changed.

If anything forceful, assaultive or abusive did happen in the scenarios, like I said, it's very likely to stick around in your memory. With that in mind, and considering the way you've described what you remember, neither encounter seems abusive in nature.