Gender differences in child sexual abuse in China: Do one-child status and repeated victimization matter?

Abstract

Studies of child sexual abuse (CSA) in China seem to present findings inconsistent with the international literature. To explore the reasons of such inconsistency, this study examined the roles of one-child status and repeated victimization using a representative sample of 14,564 Chinese adolescents. Both were found to have a moderating effect. Having older siblings can decrease a girl’s vulnerability to one-time indirect CSA but increase a girl’s vulnerability to one-time direct CSA. Boys were found to be at a greater risk of repeated CSA than girls, regardless of sibling status. Such moderating effects of sibling status and repeated victimization could be one reason of the inconsistency described above. Specifying the types of CSA and screening for multiple experiences of sexual victimization when one-time of CSA is detected, and providing effective social services by incorporating gender-specific perspective, could prove effective in addressing the issue of CSA in China.