Massachusetts Citizens for Children (MCC)

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.