Child Sexual Abuse

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Basics

• Summary
• Start Here

Learn More

• Living With
• Related Issues
• Specifics

See, Play and Learn

• No links available

Research

• Statistics and Research
• Journal Articles

Resources

• Find an Expert

For You

• Children
• Men
• Women
• Patient Handouts

Summary

Sexual abuse is one form of child abuse. It includes a wide range of actions between a child and an adult or older child. Often these involve body contact, but not always. Exposing one's genitals to children or pressuring them for sex is sexual abuse. Using a child for pornography is also sexual abuse.

Most sexual abusers know the child they abuse. They may be family friends, neighbors or babysitters. About one-third of abusers are related to the child. Most abusers are men. If you think a child may have been abused, it's important to report it.

Start Here

• Child Sexual Abuse (American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry) Also in Spanish
• Child Sexual Abuse (National Center for PTSD)

Living With

• Parenting a Child Who Has Been Sexually Abused: A Guide for Foster and Adoptive Parents (Children's Bureau) - PDF

Related Issues

• Questions and Answers about Memories of Childhood Abuse (American Psychological Association)

Specifics

• Signs of Childhood Sexual Abuse (American Academy of Family Physicians) Also in Spanish

Statistics and Research

• CDC Vital Signs: Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

• Article: Improving professional practice in the investigation and management of intrafamilial child...
• Article: Clinical Stakes of Sexual Abuse in Adolescent Psychiatry.
• Article: Sociodemographic and Clinical Characteristics of Child Sexual Abuse Reported to an...
• Child Sexual Abuse -- see more articles

Find an Expert

• National Center for Missing and Exploited Children

Children

• Youth and Teens Page (National Runaway Safeline)

Men

• Helping Yourself Heal: A Recovering Man's Guide to Coping with the Effects of Childhood Abuse (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) - PDF

Women

• Helping Yourself Heal: A Recovering Woman's Guide to Coping with Childhood Abuse Issues (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) - PDF Also in Spanish

Patient Handouts

• Sexual abuse in children -- what to know (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish