What is Sexual Abuse
When an adult involves a child in ANY sexual act, including:
- Exposure to pornography
- Internet "chatting" around sexual topics
Sexual Abuse Can Occur At All Ages
- More than 67% of all sexual assault victims are under 18
- 1 in 4 women were sexually abused before age 18
- 1 in 6 men were sexually abused before age 18
- 1 in 5 children receive a sexual solicitation while on the Internet
- The median age for sexually assaulted children is 9 years old
- 1 in 7 victims of sexual assault reported to law enforcement agencies is under age 6
- There are approximately 39 million survivors of childhood sexual abuse in U.S.
- More than 80% of cases of child sexual abuse occur in one child/one adult situations
Who Are Typical Perpetrators of Child Sexual Abuse
- 90% are male
- 90% are religious
- 75% are Caucasian
- 80% are/have been married
- 65% are middle income or above
- 50% are college educated
Perpetrators Target Children They Know
Only 10% of perpetrators are strangers.
- Family member 40%
- Biological Child 20%
- Stepchild, Adopted, Foster Child 30%
- Siblings 10%
- Nieces and Nephews 20%
- grandchild 5%
- Acquaintance 50%
- Friend, Neighbor 40%
- Student, Sports participant, etc. 50%
- babysitter 5%
Most Children Don't Tell
Evidence that a child has been sexually abused is not always obvious, and many children do not report that they have been abused.
- Over 30% of victims never disclose the experience to ANYONE.
- Young victims may not recognize their victimization as sexual abuse.
- Almost 80% initially deny abuse.
- Fabricated sexual abuse reports constitute only 1% to 4% of all reported cases, and the majority of fabricated reports come from adults.
What Are Some of The Long Term Effects of Abuse?
- drug and Alcohol dependence
- post-traumatic Stress disorder
- Eating disorders
- debilitating Fear
- Teen pregnancy
- Sexual disorders
- Increased Illness
What Can Responsible Organizations Who Serve Children and Thier Families Do to Reduce the Risk of Abuse?
- Pay Attention
- Understand the Impact
- Create Hiring policy
- Create One-on-One policy
- Create reporting policy
- Train Employees/Volunteer
Public Service Announcement
A message from Children's Advocacy Center about protecting your child from online predators.