The Multifaceted Aspects of Child Sexual Abuse

Abstract

This article surveys findings on the lasting effects of child sexual abuse on individuals and on the family, child care, education, social service, health care, and legal systems. Child sexual abuse clearly has immediate identifiable effects, consistent symptom patterns, and adverse long-term effects on both boys and girls. It is suspected as the underlying ideology of a number of mental health disorders that have been resistent to treatment, including borderline and multiple personalities. There are, however, difficulties in establishing a linear relationship between sexual abuse in childhood and a specific outcome in adulthood. More work is needed to develop one conceptual model adequate to describe sexual abuse. Since 1976, the incidents of reported child sexual abuse has risen an estimated 27%. The role of reconstituted families in the increased incidents, and the effect of increased awareness of sexual abuse on teachers and other child care providers are discussed. It is recommended that effort be directed to locating the underlying causes of child sexual abuse, so social policy for prevention of child sexual abuse can take accurate aim at the source of the problem. It is necessary that prevention programs directed to children not prevent development of crucial trust. Specific recommendations for future research are made.