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Child Sexual Abuse
- Although child sexual abuse is reported almost 90,000 times a year,
the numbers of unreported abuse is far greater because the children are
afraid to tell anyone what has happened, and the legal procedure for
validating an episode is difficult (American Academy of Child &
Adolescent Psychiatry, 2004).
- It is estimated that 1 in 4 girls and 1 in 6 boys will have
experienced an episode of sexual abuse while younger than 18 years.
The numbers of boys affected may be falsely low because of reporting
techniques (Botash, Ann, MD, Pediatric Annual, May, 1997).
- Sixty-seven percent of all victims of sexual assault reported to law
enforcement agencies were juveniles (under the age of 18); 34% of all
victims were under age 12. One of every seven victims of sexual
assault reported to law enforcement agencies were under 6. Forty
percent of the offenders who victimized children under age 6 were
juveniles (under the age of 18). (Bureau of Justice Statistics,
2000).
- Most children are abused by someone they know and trust, although boys
are more likely than girls to be abused outside of the family. A
study in three states found 96% of reported rape survivors under age 12
knew the attacker. Four percent of the offenders were strangers, 20
percent were fathers, 16 percent were relatives and 50% were acquaintances
or friends (Advocates for Youth, 1995).
Overview
Child sexual abuse has been at the center of unprecedented public
attention during the last decade. All fifty states and the District of Columbia have
enacted statutes identifying child sexual abuse as criminal behavior (Whitcomb, 1986).
This crime encompasses different types of sexual activity, including voyeurism, sexual
dialogue, fondling, touching of the genitals, vaginal, anal, or oral rape and forcing
children to participate in pornography or prostitution.
Child Sexual Abusers
Perpetrators of child sexual abuse come from different age
groups, genders, races and socio- economic backgrounds. Women sexually abuse children,
although not as frequently as men, and juvenile perpetrators comprise as many as one-third
of the offenders (Finkelhor, 1994). One common denominator is that victims frequently know
and trust their abusers.
Child abusers coerce children by offering attention or gifts,
manipulating or threatening their victims, using aggression or employing a combination of
these tactics. "[D]ata indicate that child molesters are frequently aggressive. Of
250 child victims studied by DeFrancis, 50% experienced physical force, such as being held
down, struck, or shaken violently" (Becker, 1994).
Child Sexual Abuse Victims
Studies have not found differences in the prevalence of child
sexual abuse among different social classes or races. However, parental inadequacy,
unavailability, conflict and a poor parent-child relationship are among the
characteristics that distinguish children at risk of being sexually abused (Finkelhor,
1994). According to the Third National Incidence Study, girls are sexually abused
three times more often than boys, whereas boys are more likely to die or be seriously
injured from their abuse (Sedlak & Broadhurst, 1996). Both boys and girls are most
vulnerable to abuse between the ages of 7 and 13 (Finkelhor, 1994).
Incest
Incest traditionally describes sexual abuse in which the
perpetrator and victim are related by blood. However, incest can also refer to cases where
the perpetrator and victim are emotionally connected (Crnich & Crnich, 1992).
"[I]ntrafamily perpetrators constitute from one-third to one-half of all perpetrators
against girls and only about one-tenth to one-fifth of all perpetrators against boys.
There is no question that intrafamily abuse is more likely to go on over a longer period
of time and in some of its forms, particularly parent-child abuse, has been shown to have
more serious consequences" (Finkelhor, 1994).
Symptoms of Child Sexual Abuse
Many sexually abused children exhibit physical, behavioral and
emotional symptoms. Some physical signs are pain or irritation to the genital area,
vaginal or penile discharge and difficulty with urination. Victims of known assailants may
experience less physical trauma because such injuries might attract suspicion
(Hammerschlag, 1996).
Behavioral changes often precede physical symptoms as the first
indicators of sexual abuse (American Humane Association Children's Division, 1993).
Behavioral signs include nervous or aggressive behavior toward adults, sexual
provocativeness before an appropriate age and the use of alcohol and other drugs. Boys
"are more likely than girls to act out in aggressive and antisocial ways as a result
of abuse" (Finkelhor, 1994). Children may say such things as, "My mother's
boyfriend does things to me when she's not there," or "I'm afraid to go home
tonight."
Consequences of Child Sexual Abuse
Consequences of child sexual abuse range "from chronic
depression to low self-esteem to sexual dysfunction to multiple personalities. A fifth of
all victims develop serious long-term psychological problems, according to the American
Medical Association. These may include dissociative responses and other signs of
post-traumatic-stress syndrome [sic], chronic states of arousal, nightmares, flashbacks,
venereal disease and anxiety over sex or exposure of the body during medical exams"
("Child Sexual Abuse . . .," 1993).
Cycle of Violence
Children who are abused or neglected are more likely to become
criminal offenders as adults. A National Institute of Justice study found "that
childhood abuse increased the odds of future delinquency and adult criminality overall by
40 percent" (Widom, 1992). Child sexual abuse victims are also at risk of becoming
ensnared in this cycle of violence. One expert estimates that forty percent of sexual
abusers were sexually abused as children (Vanderbilt, 1992). In addition, victims of child
sexual abuse are 27.7 times more likely to be arrested for prostitution as adults than
non-victims. (Widom, 1995). Some victims become sexual abusers or prostitutes because they
have a difficult time relating to others except on sexual terms.
Stopping the Cycle of Violence
With early detection and appropriate treatment, society can
prevent some victimized children from becoming adult perpetrators. In order to intervene
early in abuse, parents should educate their children about appropriate sexual behavior
and how to feel comfortable saying no (American Humane Association Children's Division,
1993).
Although about 40% of untreated nonincest offenders recidivate,
studies have found that treatment can successfully decrease recidivism rates (Becker,
1994). Depo-Provera and other pharmacological treatments can decrease sexual thoughts,
urges or drives by lowering male sexual offenders' testosterone levels. This method is
sometimes referred to as chemical castration. Offenders' inappropriate attraction to
children can be diminished by behavioral modification techniques, such as aversive
conditioning, masturbatory satiation, and covert sensitization. Psychological treatment
such as psychotherapy and counseling can help offenders understand their behavior and
identify its origins (Groth & Oliveri, 1989).
Steps must be taken to ensure that perpetrators do not attack
again once the criminal justice system's punitive measures have taken their course. All
states and the federal government have enacted versions of Megan's Law that require
community notification and sex offender registration. Under these laws, authorities are
required to notify communities when sex offenders move in. In some cases, law enforcement
agencies make the notification while the offender is responsible in others. Registration
laws require offenders to provide information such as name and address to a law
enforcement agency. The FBI maintains a nationwide sex offender registry (Walsh, 1997).
Child Sexual Abuse Reporting
Children may resist reporting sexual abuse because they are
afraid of angering the offender, blame themselves for the abuse or feel guilty and
ashamed. In order to increase reporting, parents and adults who interact with children,
such as school personnel, teachers, counselors, child care workers, Boy and Girl Scout
troop leaders and coaches, should be educated about the behavioral and physical symptoms
of child sexual abuse (American Humane Association Children's Division, 1995). Children
are more likely to reveal sexual abuse when talking to someone who appears to 'already
know' and is not judgmental, critical or threatening. They also tend to disclose when they
believe continuation of the abuse will be unbearable; they are physically injured; or they
receive sexual abuse prevention information. Other reasons may be to protect another child
or if pregnancy is a threat ("Child Sexual Abuse . . .", 1993).
Recovery from Child Sexual Abuse
Once a child discloses the abuse, an appropriate response is
extremely important to the child's healing process. The adult being confided in should
encourage the victim to talk freely, reassure the child that he or she is not to blame and
seek medical and psychological assistance. Family members may also benefit from mental
health services (American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 1992).
Legal Action
Suspicions of child sexual abuse should be reported to a child
protective services agency or law enforcement agency. Local child protection agencies
investigate intrafamilial abuse and the police investigate extrafamilial abuse. The law
requires professionals who work with children to report suspected neglect or abuse.
In addition to reporting child sexual abuse to the authorities,
victims can sue their abusers in civil court to recover monetary damages or win other
remedies (Crnich & Crnich, 1992). Many states have extended their criminal and civil
statutes of limitation for child sexual abuse cases (National Center for Victims of Crime,
1995). In addition, the delayed discovery rule suspends the statutes of limitation if the
victim had repressed all memory of the abuse or was unaware that the abuse caused current
problems (Crnich & Crnich, 1992).
Adult Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse
Survivors of child sexual abuse use coping mechanisms to deal
with the horror of the abuse. One such mechanism, protective denial, entails repressing
some or all of the abuse. This may cause significant memory gaps that can last months or
even years. Victims also use dissociative coping mechanisms, such as becoming numb, to
distance themselves from the psychological and physiological responses to the abuse. They
may also turn to substance abuse, self-mutilation and eating disorders. In order to
recover, adult survivors must adopt positive coping behaviors, forgive themselves, and
relinquish their identities as survivors (Sgroi, 1989). The healing process can begin when
the survivor acknowledges the abuse. When working with adult survivors of child sexual
abuse, therapists should consider the survivor's feeling of security and the personal and
professional ramifications of disclosure.
Societal influences play a big role in the recovery process.
Although males are raised to shoulder responsibility for what happens to them, male
victims need to understand that the victimization was not their fault. Only then can they
begin to accept that they were not responsible for the abuse (Male Survivors of Childhood
Sexual Abuse, 1990).
Works Cited
- Advocates for Youth, "Child Sexual Abuse: An Overview," January
1995.
American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. (2004). Child
Sexual Abuse. Washington, D.C.: American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.
- American Humane Association Children's Division. (1993). Child Sexual
Abuse: AHA Fact Sheet #4. Englewood, CO: American Humane Association.
- American Humane Association Children's Division. (1995). Guidelines to
Help Children Who Have Been Reported for Suspected Abuse or Neglect: AHA Fact
Sheet #14. Englewood,
CO: American Humane Association.
- Becker, Judith. (1994). "Offenders: Characteristics and Treatment."
The Future of Children, 4(2): 179, 186.
- Botash, Ann, MD. "Examination for Sexual Abuse in Prepubertal
Children: An Update," Pediatric
Annual,
May 1997.
- Bureau of Justice Statistics, US Department of
Justice, "Sexual Assault of Young Children as Reported to Law
Enforecement: Victim, Incident, and Offender Characteristics," July,
2000.
- Child Sexual Abuse: Does the Nation Face an Epidemic - or a Wave of
Hysteria?" (1993). CQ Researcher, 3(2): 27-28. Crnich, Joseph
& Crnich, Kimberly. (1992). Shifting the Burden of Truth: Suing Child
Sexual Abusers - A Legal Guide for Survivors and Their Supporters. Lake Oswego, OR: Recollex Publishing.
- Finkelhor, David. (1994). "Current Information on the Scope
and Nature of Child Sexual Abuse." The Future of Children, 4(2): 31, 46-48.
- Groth, Nicholas & Oliveri, Frank. (1989). "Understanding
Sexual Offense Behavior and Differentiating among Sexual Abusers: Basic Conceptual
Issues." Vulnerable Populations: Sexual Abuse Treatment for Children, Adult
Survivors, Offenders, and Persons with Mental Retardation Volume 2, Suzanne Sgroi, Ed.
Lexington, MA: Lexington Books.
- Hammerschlag, Margaret. (1996). Sexually Transmitted Diseases
and Child Sexual Abuse.
Washington, D.C.: Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, U.S.
Department of Justice.
- Male Survivors of Childhood Sexual Abuse. (1990). Virginia
Child Protection Newsletter, 31: 1-12.
- National Center for Victims of Crime. (1995).
"Extensions of the Criminal and Civil Statutes of Limitation in Child Sexual
Abuse Cases." FYI, No.57. Arlington, VA: National Victim Center.
- National Center for Victims of Crime and Crime Victims Research
and Treatment Center. (1992). Rape in America: A Report to the Nation. Arlington, VA: National Center for
Victims of Crime and Crime Victims Research and Treatment Center.
- Sedlak, Andrea & Broadhurst, Diane. (1996). Executive
Summary of the Third National Incidence Study of Child Abuse and Neglect. Washington, D.C.: National Center on Child
Abuse and Neglect, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
- Sgroi, Suzanne. (1989). "Stages of Recovery for Adult
Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse." Vulnerable Populations: Sexual Abuse Treatment
for Children, Adult Survivors, Offenders, and Persons with Mental Retardation Volume 2, Suzanne Sgroi, Ed.
Lexington, MA: Lexington Books.
- Walsh, Elizabeth Rahmberg. (1997). "Megan's Laws - Sex
Offender Registration and Notification Statutes and Constitutional Challenges." The
Sex Offender: New Insights, Treatment Innovations and Legal Developments, Barbara Schwartz and Henry Cellini,
Eds. Kingston, NJ: Civic Research Institute.
- Wang, Ching-Tung & Daro, Deborah. (1997). Current Trends
in Child Abuse: The Results of the 1996 Annual Fifty State Survey. Chicago, IL: The National Center on Child Abuse
Prevention Research, The National Committee to Prevent Child Abuse.
- Whitcomb, Debra. (1986). Prosecuting Child Sexual Abuse: New
Approaches.
Washington, D.C.: National Institute of Justice, U.S. Department of Justice.
- Widom, Cathy Spatz. (1992). The Cycle of Violence. Washington, D.C.: National
Institute of Justice, U.S. Department of Justice.
- Widom, Cathy Spatz. (1995). Victims of Childhood Sexual Abuse
- Later Criminal Consequences. Washington, D.C.: National Institute of Justice, U.S.
Department of Justice.
For additional
information, please contact:
American Academy of Child &
Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP)
3615 Wisconsin Avenue,
NW
Washington, DC 20016
Phone: (202) 966-7300
Fax: (202)
966-2891
www.aacap.org
Childhelp
15757 North
58th Street
Scottsdale, Arizona 85260
Phone: (480) 922-8212
Fax: (480)
922-7061
TDD: (800) 222-4453
Toll Free: (800) 422-4453
www.childhelp.org
Child Welfare
Information Gateway
Children's Bureau/ACYF
1250 Maryland Avenue,
SW
Eighth Floor
Washington, DC 20024
(703) 385-7565
(800)
394-3366
www.childwelfare.gov
National Center for Missing
and Exploited Children (NCMEC)
Charles B. Wang International
Children's Building
699 Prince Street
Alexandria, VA
22314
Phone: (703) 274-3900
Fax: (703) 274-2200
Toll-Free:
(800)-843-5678
www.missingkids.com
National Center
for Victims of Crime
2000 M Street NW, Suite 480
Washington, DC
20036
Phone: (202) 467-8700
Our
helpline is staffed Monday through Friday 8:30am to 8:30pm EST:
Toll-free Helpline: 1-800-FYI-CALL
(1-800-394-2255)
Fax: (202) 467-8701
TTY/TDD: 1-800-211-7996
Email: gethelp@NCVC.org
www.ncvc.org
National Children's
Advocacy Center (NCAC)
Administrative Offices
210 Pratt
Avenue
Huntsville, Alabama 35801
Phone: (256)
533-5437
Fax: (256) 534-6883
www.nationalcac.org
Rape, Abuse & Incest
National Network (RAINN)
2000 L Street, NW
Suite
406
Washington, DC 20036
Phone: (202) 544-1034
Fax: (202)
544-3556
Toll-Free: (800) 656-HOPE (4673)
www.rainn.org
All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2008 by the National Center for Victims of Crime. This
information may be freely distributed, provided that it is distributed free of charge, in
its entirety and includes this copyright notice.
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