A meta-analysis of the relationship of child sexual abuse to adult psychological adjustment
"This paper reports on meta-analyses of the relations of child sexual abuse to adult psychological adjustment. Results indicated statistically significant relationships between the experience of child sexual abuse and subsequent difficulties in psychological adjustment as measured by psychological symptomatology, depression, and self-esteem."
Abuse of Children by Priests in the Boston Archdiocese: Violations of Applicable Standards of Care
This article outlines the history of child abuse by priests in a local diocese and outlines the consequences/outcomes from several fundamental cases. Ethical considerations and standards of care are also addressed.
Adolescent Sex Offenders and Children with Sexual Behavior Problems (pdf)
"This bibliography lists selected readings on adolescent sex offenders and children with sexual behavior problems. It includes research, guidelines, and clinical articles as well as websites and ordering information for selected articles."
Age at First Sexual Assault and Current Substance Use and Depression
This article explores how the association between sexual violence and substance use and mental health differs by race and life course stage. Although sexual violence does not heighten the risk of problem drinking for White women, minority women victimized in adulthood are significantly more likely to engage in problem drinking and use illicit drugs. This suggests that for minority women the effects of recent victimization experiences result in immediate and potentially long-lasting consequences. The findings with respect to the association between sexual violence and depression are consistent with the child and adolescent development literature. It is Hispanic women who are more likely to suffer depression as a consequence of child sexual assault.
Beyond Surviving: Toward a Movement of Preventing Child Sexual Abuse (pdf)
This document offers a place to begin broader discussion around child sexual abuse (CSA) and understand the complexities of the issue. The report outlines barriers to addressing child sexual abuse on a grassroots level and describes beginning ideas for moving this work forward to its next step. It is not a meeting summary, nor is it a comprehensive paper on the issues surrounding child sexual abuse. The document should be used as a springboard to launch public ownership and discussion that will move us toward long-term solutions to end child sexual abuse.
Child Abuse and Domestic Violence
Discussion of the study, "Relation Between Childhood Sexual and Physical Abuse and Risk of Revictimisation in Women: A Cross-Sectional Survey", that shows women who are physically and/or sexually abused in childhood are at risk of being victims of abuse as adults.
Child Abuse and Safety Web Videos by Marc Klaas
This site offers useful information on child safety in the home and in cyberspace.
Child Abuse: Statistics, Research, and Resources
Gives historical contexts, sources of statistics, and statistical tools. Also includes official statistics on child abuse for the United States, Canada, Australia, and England. Discusses the prevalance of the sexual abuse of boys and the effects of child abuse, and gives resources for parents and caregivers.
Child Exploitation Statutes and Legislation
Posted by the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section of the Criminal Division of the United States Department of Justice. Includes information on the Child Online Protection Act and Protection of Children from Sexual Predators Act.
Child Pornography: Findings From the National Incident-Based Reporting System (pdf)
This document presents findings from the FBI’s National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS). By collecting data on pornography/obscene material offenses from law enforcement jurisdictions, NIBRS enables researchers to draw conclusions about the number, locations, and characteristics of these crimes. NIBRS data suggest that approximately 2,900 crime incidents of pornography with juvenile involvement were known to state and local police in 2000; these offenses most often were committed by a lone adult male offender, occurred in a residence, and did not involve a computer. Currently, NIBRS data represent about 14 percent of the population. As more jurisdictions support uniform reporting of accurate data to NIBRS and as its codes become more refined, NIBRS will become even more useful in identifying and tracking trends in child pornography.
Child Sexual Abuse and Subsequent Psychopathology: Results From the National Comorbidity Survey
"This study examines the relationship between child sexual abuse (CSA) and subsequent onset of psychiatric disorders, accounting for other childhood adversities, CSA type, and chronicity of the abuse."
Childhood Sex Abuse Increases Risk for Drug Dependence in Adult Women
"The article briefly discusses the data results gathered from interviews of women revealing that those who experienced any type of sexual abuse in their childhood were roughly three times more likely than unabused girls to report drug dependence as adults."
Children with Sexual Behavior Problems: Common Misconceptions vs. Current Findings (pdf)
"This fact sheet provides information about children who demonstrate developmentally inappropriate or aggressive sexual behavior. It addresses some common myths about this population and provides findings from research on the issue."
Do Children Sexually Abuse Other Children? (pdf)
This is a piece of education material intended for all audiences that overviews childhood sexual abuse and the high incidence rates of children under the age of 18 years that are perpetrators.
Domestic Violence Against Women and Girls
"Highlights issues of abuse; femicide; forced prostitution; sexual abuse of children; sex-selective abortion, female infanticide and differential access to food and medical care; and, traditional and cultural practices that affect women's health and lives."
"Highlights the 2 most prevalent types of abuse in the lives of women and girls around the world: intimate partner violence and rape. Demonstrates how world-wide gender-based violence is a major public health concern, suggesting strategies to respond."
"The present study was designed to examine the extent to which ethnic differences in the circumstances of abuse would be related to psychological outcomes and whether the relationship of ethnicity to psychological outcomes would be independent of ethnic differences in the circumstances of abuse."
Facts About Child Sex Tourism (pdf)
This provides a brief overview of the sexual exploitation of children worldwide. This fact sheet includes a definition of child sex tourism, both the global and U.S. response, and suggestions for what governments, citizens and business can do to combat child sex tourism.
Facts About Those Who Might Commit It (pdf)
A booklet that provides information about people who may commit child sexual abuse. Additional facts regarding what to look for in children who may have been abused and the need to develop a safety plan are included.
Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting: A statistical exploration
"This publication analyzes available statistics on female genital mutilation/cutting, with the aim of improving understanding of related issues in the wider context of gender equality and social change."
This handbook is designed to help health professionals address the health care needs of adult female survivors of childhood sexual abuse. It provides background information about childhood sexual abuse and its effects on survivors. It also introduces the principles of sensitive practice and provides practical suggestions that health professionals can incorporate into their clinical practice.
Human Trafficking of Children in the United States: A Fact Sheet for Schools
"This fact sheet was developed for those working in school settings and provides an overview of human trafficking, how it affects schools, tips for identifying victims, and steps for reporting human trafficking."
Let's Talk: Adults Talking to Adults about Child Sexual Abuse (pdf)
The brochure also outlines what someone can do in three very different circumstances:how to report if someone finds out that abuse has been perpetrated, how to add in protective factors if no child has been abused, but someone is at risk to abuse, and how to talk about healthy sexual development when the lines of communication need to be opened.
Mothers of Sexually Abused Children: Trauma and Repair in Longitudinal Perspective
This study addressed the increase in maternal psychological stress that develops following the disclosure of their child's sexual abuse. A mother's stress is often correlated and associated with the child's coping skills and level of stress, thus it is extremely important to work with mother on relieving/alleviating their stress so as to in turn work the child at healing from their sexual trauma.
Moving Upstream (pdf)
"The theme of this issue is "Revisiting Healthy Sexuality and Sexual Violence Prevention". The feature article profiles two programs using a healthy sexuality approach, and also reports on key policy and practice developments that have come to light since the original healthy sexuality articles were published in 2005. There is also an article examining how one local Virginia agency implemented the Care For Kids child sexual abuse prevention program in their community. "
Overview of the Portable Guides to Investigating Child Abuse: Update 2000
This 10-page Bulletin is available from the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP). It covers the recognition of injuries caused by abuse, techniques for collecting evidence and for interviewing victims and witnesses, formation of multidisciplinary investigative teams, and the use of computers in the sexual victimization of children.
Profiting from abuse: An investigation into the sexual exploitation of children (pdf)
"Highlights ways children are sexually exploited around the world, factors contributing to this exploitation, and responses various states, communities, organizations, and individuals have taken to respond to/prevent/decrease child sexual exploitation."
Protecting Children in Cyberspace: The ICAC Task Force Program (pdf)
January 2002 Bulletin. Discusses efforts by OJJDP's Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force Program that address emerging online threats, such as computer-facilitated sex crimes, directed at children and teenagers. The ICAC Task Force Program helps State and local law enforcement agencies develop effective responses to online enticement and child pornography offenses. Responses include investigative, forensic, community education, and victim service components. The information in this OJJDP Bulletin is intended to help parents, policymakers, and practitioners create an Internet environment in which children can participate safely.
Report on Research on Rape and Violence (pdf)
"This report is a compendium of research on issues related to rape, sexual assault, and violence. While efforts have been made to include research from as many sources as possible, it is inevitable that other valuable sources of research may contain information no included in this report."
Second Comprehensive Study of Missing Children
A 6-page Bulletin posted by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP). The design of the National Incidence Studies of Missing, Abducted, Runaway, and Thrownaway Children (NISMART 2) study is described in this Bulletin, which outlines how it will provide vital data on the incidence of missing children in seven categories: runaway/thrownaway, nonfamily abduction, family abduction, custodial interference, lost and involuntarily missing, missing due to injury, missing due to false alarm situations, as well as children who have been sexually assaulted.
Presents findings from the National Incident-Based Reporting System regarding sexual assault, especially young children.
Statistics Surrounding Child Sexual Abuse
"This one-pager presents statistics surrounding the issue of child sexual abuse."
Stopping the Violence Against Women: The Movement from Intervention to Prevention (pdf)
This safety program report outlines the history of gender violence within the U.S. and offers suggestions for how to move beyond this problem towards prevention. Strategies for moving forward and a sample program are addressed.
The Decline in Child Sexual Abuse Cases (pdf)
This document presents evidence about the decline in reported and substantiated child sexual abuse cases since the early 1990’s. Several explanations for the decline are considered, and corresponding policy implications are discussed.
The evaluation of sexual abuse in children
Sexually abused children are seen by pediatricians and family care practitioners in a variety of circumstances, but the diagnosis of sexual abuse and the protection of the child from additional harm depend in part on the provider's willingness to consider abuse as a possibility. Sexually abused children who have not disclosed abuse may present with a variety of symptoms and signs. Released by the National Guideline Clearinghouse (NGC), the Evaluation of Sexual Abuse in Children was developed by the American Academy of Pediatrics to assist pediatric and family care providers in effectively evaluating and caring for children who are sexually abused.
The Facts About Child Sex Tourism (pdf)
"This fact sheet includes a definition of child sex tourism, both the global and U.S. response, and suggestions for what governments, citizens and business can do to combat child sex tourism."
The Four R's of Prevention: Back to School Safety In & Out of the Classroom by Stop It Now!
"This article offers a review for adults of the Four R's of preventing child sexual abuse - Rules, Reading, Respect, and Responsibility - and offers tips on each one."
The Health Impacts on Adult Women of Childhood Sexual Violence Before the Age of Twelve Years
This is a 1998 report by seven authors of Ipswich, Queensland, Australia. The authors describe the health consequences in adulthood that often emerge as a consequence of childhood sexual violence. High rates of depression and dissociation resulted, as well as a low rate of school completion. The experiences of women when they sought help are described.
The Prevalence and Circumstances of Child Sexual Abuse among Latina Women
"This study examined the prevalence and circumstances of child sexual abuse in a community sample of Latina women, 18 to 50 years of age. Chi-square tests of independence and t-test procedures were used to assess the prevalence, characteristics of the victim, assault, perpetrator, disclosure, and long-term effects. One in three Latina women reported incidents of sexual abuse, regardless of acculturation or citizenship status. More than one third of the women also experienced revictimization, with more than 80% of initial incidents occurring from the age of 7 years. Treatment implications and community-based interventions for Latina survivors of child sexual abuse are discussed."
"This integrative review synthesizes the findings of 16 cross-sectional surveys (25 hypotheses) on the prevalence of child abuse among nonclinical, North American samples. Given the large human costs, both personal and social, of child abuse, and the identified gap in the requisite knowledge needed to steer effective preventive and treatment interventions, it is time to invest in a large, methodologically rigorous, population-based study of child abuse which, if it does nothing else, spares no expense in ensuring very high participation."
The Traumatic Impact of Child Sexual Abuse: A Conceptualization (pdf)
"In this paper a framework is proposed for a more systematic understanding of the effects of child sexual abuse. Four traumagenic dynamics – traumatic sexualization, betrayal, stigmatization, and powerlessness – are identified as the core of the psychological injury inflicted by abuse. These dynamics can be used to make assessments of victimized children and to anticipate problems to which these children may be vulnerable subsequently. Implications for research are also considered."
Trafficking for Sexual Exploitation (pdf)
"This fact sheet provides a brief overview of sex trafficking of women and children in the Americas and explores the life-threatening health consequences of this type of human trafficking."
Understanding and Protecting Your Children from Child Molesters and Predators
"This packet provides information about child molesters and some of the things you, your family and community can do to help keep children safe."