The prevalence and nature of child sexual abuse in Queensland, Australia

Abstract

Child sexual abuse is a problem of considerable proportion in the USA and Europe (Finkelhor, 1994). However, there are very little data available on child sexual abuse in Australia apart from the first ground-breaking study by Goldman and Goldman (1988a) undertaken in Victoria. No Australian National or State statistics are available. Apart from anecdotal evidence from fragmented sources, the prevalence and nature of child sexual abuse in Queensland have not been researched. Queensland is considered one of the most politically and socially conservative states in Australia, has a hotter climate, and is less developed than other Australian states. Just as the USA has its Deep South, Queensland is similarly referred to as the “Deep North.”