NCJ Number
160291
Journal
Federal Probation Volume: 59 Issue: 3 Dated: (September 1995) Pages: 69-76
Date Published
1995
Length
8 pages
Annotation
Child sexual abuse is a serious and widespread problem in the United States, with the number of reported cases increasing significantly during the past few years; victims of child sexual abuse suffer severe and persistent psychological distress and, as adult survivors, experience various symptoms and disorders that disrupt their lives and interfere with interpersonal relationships.
Abstract
The literature on child sexual abuse indicates that child molesters are adults whose sexual desires, fantasies, and behaviors are directed, at least in part, toward children and adolescents too young to give informed consent. Between 1976 and 1986, the number of reported child sexual abuse cases grew from 6,000 to 132,000, an increase of 2,100 percent. By 1991, the number of cases totaled 432,000, an increase of another 227 percent. More than 33 percent of adult women have experienced at least one sexual abuse incident before they reach 18 years of age. When a broad definition of sexual abuse is used, which includes nongenital contact, this percentage increases to 54 percent. Perpetrators of sex crimes may be victims of child sexual abuse themselves, and men who hold traditional views of sex roles and believe female family members are property are more predisposed to abuse children sexually. Literature on the effects of child sexual abuse and on sex offender classification and treatment is reviewed. The sentencing of sex offenders to probation is discussed, and the need for probation officers and treatment providers to cooperate closely is stressed. 68 references