Abstract
Public and professional perceptions of the prevalence of child sexual abuse have been influenced by studies which use vague and inconsistent definitions of abuse including non‐contact behaviours. Overestimates of the prevalence of child sexual abuse, like that of other social problems, have been used as a form of “claims making” in order to place this previously unrecognised problem on the political and social agenda. However, there are risks associated with such a strategy. One of these is that if the prevalence of child sexual abuse is seen to have been exaggerated, those advocating for the needs of sexually abused children may be discredited and the seriousness of the problem minimised. Another risk is that professionals may overdiagnose cases of child sexual abuse, with serious consequences for both children and their families.
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