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Facts about Those Abused and Those Who Abuse

	How often are children sexually abused?
	Who sexually abuses children?
	Can people who abuse children stop?
	Do children abuse other children?
	Why should adults question inappropriate sexual behavior?

How often are children sexually abused?

Research suggests that more than 300,000 children are sexually abused each year. (NISMART-2 http://www.unh.edu/ccrc/factsheet/pdf/CSA-FS20.pdf,
Finkelhor, D., H. Hammer, and A.J. Sedlak, Sexually assaulted children: National estimates and characteristics, in Juvenile Justice Bulletin. In press, Office of Juvenile Justice & Delinquency Prevention: Washington, D.C)

As many as one in three girls and one in seven boys will be sexually abused at some point in their childhood, according to most reliable studies of child sexual abuse in the United States. (Briere, J., Eliot, D.M. Prevalence and Psychological Sequence of Self-Reported Childhood Physical and Sexual Abuse in General Population: Child Abuse and Neglect, 2003, 27 10).
Child sexual abuse happens in all racial, religious, age and ethnic groups, and at all socio-economic levels. Since children are abused in homes across the country, adults need to learn what makes children vulnerable, how to recognize warning signs of those who may be sexually abusing children and what to do if sexual abuse is suspected.

In as much as 90 percent of child sexual abuse cases, the child knows the person that commits the abuse. (Finkelhor, D., H. Hammer, and A.J. Sedlak, Sexually assaulted children: National estimates and characteristics, in Juvenile Justice Bulletin. In press, Office of Juvenile Justice & Delinquency Prevention: Washington, D.C. http://www.unh.edu/ccrc/factsheet/pdf/CSA-FS20.pdf.)
The people who sexually abuse can be immediate or extended family members (fathers, mothers, stepparents, grandparents, siblings, uncles, aunts, cousins, etc.). They can be neighbors, babysitters, religious leaders, teachers, coaches, or anyone else who has close contact with our children.

Studies show that treatment for people who sexually abuse children can reduce the likelihood that they will reoffend. Statistically, people who are held accountable for sexual abuse have a lower recidivism rate than people convicted of other major offenses. Even without treatment, recidivism rates for those convicted of sexually abusing a child are estimated to be about 15-20%. With treatment, many studies show an additional reduction in recidivism by as much as a third, to as low as 12%. (Hanson, R.K., Gordon, A., Harris, A. J. R., Marques, J.K., Murphy, W., Quinsey, V.L., & Seto, M. C. (2002). First report of the Collaborative Outcome Data Project on the effectiveness of psychological treatment for sexual offenders. Sexual Abuse: A Journal of Research and Treatment, 14 (2), 169-194).
Experts agree that with successful completion of specialized treatment, people who sexually abuse children can learn how to control their actions and become part of the solution of keeping children safe.

Up to 50 percent of those who sexually abuse children are under the age of 18. (Hunter, J.A., Figueredo, A., Malamuth, N.M., & Becker, J.V. (2003). Juvenile sex offenders: Toward the Development of a Typology. Sexual Abuse: A Journal of Research and Treatment, (2003) Volume 15, No. 1).
20 to 50% of adolescents who have sexually abused children were themselve victims of physical abuse and approximately 40 to 80% were victims of sexual abuse (Hunter, J. and Becker, J., "Motivators of Adolescent Sex Offenders and Treatment Perspectives," in J. Shaw (Ed.), Sexual Aggression, American Psychiatric Press, Inc. (Washington, DC, 1998).
Children who abuse others often have been victimized in some way themselves. Acknowledging and addressing the distress these children have already faced is a good way to help end this abusive cycle. Experts and parents agree that with specialized treatment these children can heal and diminish the risk for experiencing or inflicting further harm.

88% of cases of sexual abuse are never reported to the authorities (Hanson, R.F., Resnick, H.S., Saunders, B.E., Kilpatrick. D. G., and Best, C. (1999). Factors related to the reporting of childhood sexual assault. Child Abuse and Neglect, 23,559-569).

Early interventions reduce the potential for harm and assure that everyone can get the help they need to keep children safe. Since children cannot protect themselves alone, adults must learn to recognize and inquire about behaviors that make children vulnerable or suggest that abuse has occurred. Waiting for children to tell about abuse leaves them to face the confusion and trauma on their own.