How did you feel after it happened? I think this is the most important thing. Why didn't you say something to your mom? (I'm not challenging your decision not to say something... just wondering.)



I had something similar happen to me when I was about 10. I played in the woods near our house ALL the time. One day I was there with two little neighbor girls-- they were five-ish I think. They may have been twins. A guy came along-- he was about 14-15 or so. He exposed himself and asked me to touch him. As an only daughter, I had never seen a naked guy-- not even a picture (this was ~1958). I did touch him... I guess because I didn't want to appear inexperienced and inept. Nothing else happened. I didn't "rub" him or anything, just a brief touch. I wasn't going to say anything to anyone, but the girls told their parents, who called my parents. I remember my father questioning me. I was so uncomfortable and embarrassed and irritated with my father for grilling me. My parents NEVER talked to me about sex. I found out about intercourse from reading the encyclopedia. Obviously these little girls had had the "don't let strangers do stuff to you" talk, but I hadn't. I know this is different because this was another kid not a grown man (although older than me).

It makes me wonder how many of us have had experiences like this and didn't say anything to anyone.

I don't think this one brief incident did me any harm... although I had a girlfriend who had been an ongoing victim of serious sexual abuse by her uncle tell me that my innocence was violated just as much as hers. But I don't think there's any comparison with the magnitude of the violation that she endured over a period of years.