did i molest/sexual abuse someone when i was a kid?

I was sexually abused as a child so i know the type of pain it causes someone, I also know sexually abused children sometimes molest other children. When I was 10 or 11 I was at my baby sitters house. They were 2 other girls there as well. A 7 yr old who was the baby sisters daughter and 4 yr old. One day the baby sitter was out the room doing something. The 7 yr old called me over to look at the 4 yr old's private area. The 7 yr old said the 4 yr old was bleeding from her private area. I had just gotten my period that year so I was already aware of periods +knew it was bizarre for 4 yr old to be bleeding down there.I don't remember what happened next but I walked over and looked at the 4 yr old's vagina. I think she was wearing a diaper. She was already undressed. I don't remember touching her but I could have. I asked if she was hurting down there, did she injure herself etc. I wasn't getting anything sexual out of it. The whole situation made me uncomfortable. I was genuinely concerned for her. The girl said no and she was fine. I think i helped her get dressed. I remember telling my mother when she picked me up and my mother replied "of course she's red down there".
I hope I didn't do anything to cause the girl harm.

-- Wed Feb 06, 2013 11:00 pm --

anyone? any insight would be greatly appreciated.

No, you didn't abuse her

I understand your concern and fear. I too was sexually abused as a child. I can assure you, that what you described in your post was NOT abuse. Nothing you described sounded inappropriate. You came from a place of concern for the well being of this other child, nothing more.

Looking back as an adult survivor; trying to understand,remember clearly, sort out the past, and heal is a process. No one remembers every detail or every event of their childhood, abuse survivors usually remember even less. However, that DOES NOT mean that every event or detail we can't recall was one that contained abuse or trauma.

Additionally, as survivors it can be difficult for us to see events of the past clearly, because certain things are very charged for us. I know for myself, for a long time while I was sorting out my healing in therapy, anything memory that was even mildly sexual or related to various body part, triggered very emotional responses from me that did not suit the situation. I recall agonising over a memory of innocently 'playing doctor' at age 7 with a friend . I could not recognise at that time, that what I was recalling was a simple, natural case of two children simply being curious about their bodies and nothing more.

It takes strength to ask others for help or clarification, as you have. And I applaud you for it. Keep working on your healing and acceptance and love of yourself. You deserve it.

What are you talking about? Survivors of what?

Adult Survivors of childhood sexual abuse. I was responding to Mary518 based on the info she provided in her post, as well as from my own personal experience.

No, touching another person's genitals doesn't equate to sexual abuse alone. If it did, then every single parents who bathes their children, every single doctor who examines their client's child, or any person who has sex with their lover is a sexual abuser. The first two actions are not sexual behaviors and the last one is consensual.