Doctor says avoid panic and fear

Abu Dhabi: A psychiatrist at Al Noor hospital, Dr Yousuf Al Tigani, talked about the long-term consequences of child molestation.

"The reaction of the mother and people surrounding her should be normal. They should avoid panic and fear, and not show emotions as much as possible around the child. I also advise parents not to subject their child to unnecessary procedures such as appearing in front of a court, judges or lawyers; it's been found that children who don't appear before a court recover faster than those who do," Dr Al Tigani said. If these steps are not followed, the child could be subjected to flash backs of the incident and develop low self esteem, fear, and aggression.

"They may also be emotionally immature and have fear of the outside world, as well as develop phobias of various things," he said.