Can I Press Charges Against a 6-Year-Old

My question involves criminal law for the state of: Kansas

My six-year-old step-daughter has been caught several times fondling my three-year-old daughter. She has also been caught in the act of forced mutual masterbation with her one-year-old brother at her natural mother's house.

We put her in therapy and she was diagnosed as having bipolar disorder and is on medication, but niether therapy nor medication seem to be working. We were afraid that she had been sexually abused, but he therapist says that she hasn't.

I've gotten to the point of being incredibly afraid of the damage she is doing to her younger siblings, and I would like to know if there is a way to put her in the juvenile system. Can I press charges against her on behalf of my younger daughter?

I understand this is a very odd situation, and I thank you in advance for your advice.

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Quoting mom25

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My question involves criminal law for the state of: Kansas

My six-year-old step-daughter has been caught several times fondling my three-year-old daughter. She has also been caught in the act of forced mutual masterbation with her one-year-old brother at her natural mother's house.

We put her in therapy and she was diagnosed as having bipolar disorder and is on medication, but niether therapy nor medication seem to be working. We were afraid that she had been sexually abused, but he therapist says that she hasn't.

I've gotten to the point of being incredibly afraid of the damage she is doing to her younger siblings, and I would like to know if there is a way to put her in the juvenile system. Can I press charges against her on behalf of my younger daughter?

I understand this is a very odd situation, and I thank you in advance for your advice.

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This is very disturbing. Where on earth and mom and dad???

I can't say what her natural mother was doing at the time it happened at her house, but the six-year-old will take any opportunity given to her, including while I am making food for the children or using the restroom. Since the last time it happened the children aren't allowed to play together or even be in the same room at the same time, with or without supervision. My husband works late so I am usually the only person watching the children and it is impossible to keep an eye on them at all times, thus the reason for my question.

Do you really want to put a six year old in PRISON? Really?

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Quoting cyjeff

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Do you really want to put a six year old in PRISON? Really?

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I don't think she does but she also wants to protect her other children.

any suggestions there cyjeff? I read this and had the same thought as you but the more I read it, the more I believe she is just at a loss as to what to do to protect her other children.

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Quoting jk

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I don't think she does but she also wants to protect her other children.

any suggestions there cyjeff? I read this and had the same thought as you but the more I read it, the more I believe she is just at a loss as to what to do to protect her other children.

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At six, I find it hard to believe that the behaviors are sexually motivated. Rather, I would believe them to be a call for attention.

Now, why this behavior is manifesting itself in this matter is not only profoundly disturbing, but far beyond the ability of an internet message board to address.

The child is in counseling... that is really the best first step. I would also recommend family counseling... especially around the behaviors that not only triggered this need for attention but also the initial acts that identified such behavior as "bad" to the child.

There is no way that I know of for a six year old child to BEGIN to understand how to masturbate a baby of the opposite sex... unless that six year old had, at some time, seen the behavior demonstrated and pointed out as "bad".

There is something really wrong going on here.

Let me add this edit... I am not saying that anyone else was improperly touching the baby. What I am saying is that someone told the six year old that touching a boy "there" was bad.

The therapist, being a mandatory reporter, made a report of this to protective services, right? What did protective services have to say about things?

Talking about prison is silly. The child is not going to be sent to prison.

I had initially suggested that she be sent to a hospital so she could be stabilized, but her father rejected that idea. I am running out of options. I want the six-year-old to get help, that is why I got her set up with therapy. She's been in for about a year and nothing seems to be changing.
The child had told me at one time that her step-father had sexually abused her, so we filed a police report. The child services people talked to her and she told them that she lied about it. Her therapist also believes she made the story up. I don't know where she would have gotten the idea to do such things to a boy, and we don't have any boys in this house, just her and my three-year-old daughter, and nothing was demonstrated to her as "bad". At least, not here. Once again, I can't say what goes on at her mother's house.
I can say that her mom often has hickies and tends to be inappropriately sexual with her husband in front of people, and that is a concern for my husband and I, but we explained our worries to the child services people and they said there was nothing they could do about it.
I don't want her to go to prison, I thought that maybe there was a program for someone as little as she is to get some help. This is my last resort before I have to leave my husband to protect my daughter, and I really don't want that to happen.
I would appreciate any constructive advice anyone could provide.

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Quoting Mr. Knowitall

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The therapist, being a mandatory reporter, made a report of this to protective services, right? What did protective services have to say about things?

Talking about prison is silly. The child is not going to be sent to prison.

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Mom asked if the child could be put in the juvenile system. I was making sure that wasn't an option.

what are the doctors saying about it?