Veronica's Story : Issues, Laws & Legislation
About
the Problem of
Childhood Sexual Abuse and Neglect
Facts to Consider:
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In 1996, Child Protective Service agencies determined that almost 1 million children were victims of child abuse and neglect. [1]
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1 in 4 girls and 1 in 6 boys will be sexually abused before they turn 16.
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75-95% of these victims know their offender. [2]
Most offenders are not strangers to their victims. In most cases, they are well known to their victims.
Approximately 25 percent of offenders are adolescents.
Most of the reported abusers are male.
It is the
offender who initiates the sexual activity. The offender is responsible
for the abuse no matter what the child does.
The Victim
Victims of child sexual abuse are found in all classes and ethno-cultural communities. Children who have physical or mental disabilities are especially vulnerable to sexual abuse.
Children are not able to give informed consent to sexual activity because they cannot fully understand adult-child sexual contact or predict the consequences, and because the adult is abusing a position of authority over the child.
Children who are isolated from others are at greater risk of being sexually abused. These children have little contact with friends, brothers and sisters or adults whom they can trust. As a result of sexual abuse, some children may further isolate themselves because they feel different or afraid of what others will think.
Children vary in their responses to sexual abuse.
In a child's world, adults control most of the resources and seem to know all the answers. If the abuser threatens the child or someone the child loves, the child may not question the adult's power to carry out the threat.
There is a greater possibility of serious distress to the child if the abuser is a family member, or if the child does not receive support from his or her non-abusive parent.
The long-term consequences are also worse for the child if force, or even the threat of force, was used during the abuse, or if there were many incidents of abuse over a long period.
The manner in which the adults react to the child's disclosure is an important factor in influencing how the child comes to view the abuse and his or her own role in it.
Being believed and having family support can help the child to cope and adjust and can decrease some of the traumatic effects of sexual abuse.
footnotes
