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Child
Sexual Abuse Questions & Answers
How
do you define child sexual abuse?
Child sexual abuse is forced, tricked, or coerced sexual
behavior between a young person and an older person.(1)
Sexual abuse may consist of any one of the following
acts: nudity, disrobing, genital exposure, observation of
the child, kissing, fondling, masturbation, oral-genital
contact, child pornography, digital penetration, and vaginal
or anal intercourse.(2)
Is
the perpetrator always older than the victim?
There is no rule governing the age range between a victim
and a perpetrator. However, when the perpetrator is under
18 years of age, often an age discrepancy of five years
has been required to verify cases of sexual abuse where
no force was involved.(3)
Is
it true that one in four girls and one in ten boys are abused
prior to age 18?
While many estimates have been made, the national incidence
rate of sexual abuse remains unknown. The estimate that
one in four girls and one in ten boys are abused prior to
age 18 became widely known simply from being repeated. A
1996 national incidence study conducted by the federal government
found that girls are sexually abused three times more often
than boys.(4) Retrospective surveys reveal great
variation, but do support the estimate that at least 20%
of American women and 5% to 16% of American men experienced
some form of sexual abuse as children.(5) In
a national survey of over 1,200 adults, victimization was
reported by 27% of the females and 16% of the males.(6)
Have
reports of sexual abuse increased?
National data from child protective services agencies, collected
in 1994, suggest that about 115,000 cases of sexual abuse
enter child protective services caseloads annually.(7)
Researchers estimate that approximately 109,230 new cases
were accepted for service last year.(8) And according
to data from 25 states, sexual abuse reports constituted
about 10% of all child abuse and neglect reports for 1995
and about 11% of all substantiated cases.(9)
While these numbers have decreased over the past year, the
number is far higher than the number of cases served in
the 1970's and early 1980's.
How
much abuse occurs in day care centers?
The best research regarding the scope of child abuse in
day care settings was conducted by David Finkelhor in 1986.
He and his colleagues attempted to identify all cases of
sexual abuse in day care settings reported nationwide between
January 1983 and December 1985. The study estimated that
approximately 500-550 incidents of sexual abuse occurred
in day care settings during the three year study period
and that theses cases involved 2,500 victims. Finkelhor
estimates that the risk to children of being sexually abused
in a day care center is 5.5 children per 10,000 enrolled
versus 8.9 per 10,000 children under six reported as being
sexually abuse in their own homes.(10) Overall,
out-of-home abuse constitutes less than 5% of all sexual
abuse cases reported to CPS agencies.(11) Based
on reports from 19 states in 1995, about 2% of all forms
of confirmed abuse occurred in day care or foster care settings.(12)
Who
are the perpetrators of sexual abuse?
Generally, children are sexually abused by adults who are
related to them or known by them or their families. Looking
at a number of retrospective surveys, results have indicated
that no more than 10% to 30% of the offenders were strangers.(13)
In sexual abuse cases committed against females, approximately
one third to one-half of all perpetrators were related to
the victim. Only about one-tenth of the abusers were related
to their male victims.(14) Acquaintance perpetrators
are the most common abusers, constituting approximately
70-90% of all reported perpetrators.(15) In addition,
males are reported to be the abusers in 80% to 95% of cases.(16)
Perpetrators of sexual abuse are not only adults. Many clinical
settings currently are witnessing a dramatic increase in
the number of adolescent offenders who have committed sexually
aggressive acts against other children.(17)
What
is the average age at the onset of sexual abuse?
The most vulnerable age for sexual abuse is between 7 and
13 years.(18) Reported victims of sexual abuse
are most often children of school age, although cases have
been documented from infancy to adulthood.(19)
What
types of children are more likely to experience sexual abuse?
Sexual abuse occurs among all groups of the population.
It happens to children in both rural and urban areas and
in all socioeconomic and educational levels, and across
all racial and cultural groups. Statistics indicate that
girls are more frequently the victims of sexual abuse, but
the number of boy victims is significant. Estimates suggest
that males account for 25% to 35% of child sexual abuse
victims.(20) Research has found that the absence
of a parent from the home increases the child's risk. In
addition, interviews with perpetrators suggest that they
look for vulnerable children. Such children are young and
appear to be isolated, depressed, or lonely.(21)
What
are the effects of sexual abuse?
The degree of harm a child experiences as a result of sexual
abuse depends upon the nature of the act, the age of the
child, and the child's general environment. Physical harm
may include cuts, disfigurement, deformity, and pregnancy.
Mental harm may consist of feelings of pain, panic, devastation,
betrayal, shame, fear, guilt, and vulnerability that may
persist throughout the victim's life. While child sexual
abuse may not always lead to permanent injury, one should
assume that all sexual abuse experiences are potentially
harmful. Also, it is important to reassure the child that
he or she is not responsible for the assault.(22)
What
are some of the signs of sexual abuse?
Symptoms of sexual abuse may include physical and behavioral
signs as well as indirect comments made by the child. There
are several clues to look for when considering the possibility
of child sexual abuse. A physical sign may be irritation,
pain, or injury to the genital area. A behavioral sign may
be nervous, aggressive, hostile, or disruptive behavior
towards adults, especially parents. But remember, one sign
alone may not be a positive indication. If a number of signs
are present, it is wise to consider the possibility of sexual
abuse.(23)
Where
can you get more information on sexual abuse or sexual abuse
prevention programs?
National statistics: available from the American Association
for Protecting Children, a division of the American Humane
Association, at (800) 227-5242 or (303) 695-0811 or from
Prevent Child Abuse America at (312) 663-3520.
Parents
Anonymous: self help groups for abused children and
parents under stress, (800) 421-0353.
Adults
Molested as Children United (AMACU): (408) 280-5055.
National
Legal Resource Center for Child Advocacy and Protection,
American Bar Association: (202) 331-2250.
C.
Henry Kempe National Center for Prevention and Treatment
of Child Abuse and Neglect: (303) 321-3963.
National
Center for the Prosecution of Child Abuse: (703) 739-0321
(1) Conte,
Jon R. (1986) "A Look at Child Sexual Abuse."
Chicago, IL: National Committee to Prevent Child Abuse (NCPCA).
(2) Thoringer, D., Krivackska, J., Laye-McDonough,
M., Jarrison, L., Vincent, O., & Hedlund, A. (1988).
"Prevention of Child Sexual Abuse: An Analysis of Issues,
Educational Programs & Research Findings" School
Psychology Review, 17 (4): 614-636.
(3) Finkelhor, D., (1986). A Sourcebook on
Child Sexual Abuse. Beverly Hills: Sage Publications.
(4) Sedlak, A. and Broadhurst, D. (1996). Executive
Summary of the Third National Incidence Study of Child Abuse
and Neglect. Westat, Inc.
(5) Finkelhor, D. (1994). "Answers to Important
Questions about the Scope and Nature of Child Sexual Abuse,
" Future of Children, 4(2). Los Altos, CA: David
and Lucille Packard Foundation.
(6) Ibid.
(7) McCurdy, K. and Daro, D. (1995). Current
Trends in Child Abuse Reporting Fatalities: The Results
of the 1994 Annual Fifty State Survey. Chicago, IL:
NCPCA.
(8) Lung, C., and Daro, D. (1996). Current
Trends in Child Abuse Reporting Fatalities: The Results
of the 1995 Annual Fifty State Survey. Chicago, IL:
NCPCA.
(9) Ibid.
(10) Finkelor, D., 1986.
(11) Daro, D. and McCurdy, K., 1991.
(12) Lung, C. and Daro, D., 1996.
(13) Finkelhor, D., 1994.
(14) Ibid.
(15) Ibid.
(16) Thoringer, D., et al., 1988.
(17) Conte, Jon R., 1986.
(18) Finkelhor, D., 1994.
(19) Thoringer, D., et al., 1988.
(20) Finkelhor, D., 1994.
(21) Basic Facts About Child Sexual Abuse.
(1996). Chicago, IL: NCPCA.
(22) Ibid.
(23) Ibid.
Prevent
Child Abuse America
200 S. Michigan Avenue, 17th Floor, Chicago, IL 60604-2404
phone 312-663-3520; fax 312-939-8962
Copyright ©2000 Prevent Child Abuse America. All rights
reserved.
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