NCJ Number
137484
Date Published
1992
Length
3 pages
Annotation
The most recent detailed studies conducted on a national basis were completed in 1986 and estimated that just over 130,000 children were sexually abused annually.
Abstract
In addition, a 1991 survey conducted by the National Committee for the Prevention of Child Abuse revealed that 404,100 reports of child sexual abuse were recorded nationally by child protective service agencies. The actual incidence of child sexual abuse is probably significantly higher than that reflected in these studies, however, because many children do not disclose their victimization due to fear, shame, lack of understanding that it is wrong, or other factors. In addition, the first national study on the prevalence of child sexual abuse found that 27 percent of the women and 16 percent of the men in the sample had experienced some form of child sexual victimization. However, no uniform definitions or methodological approaches exist; thus firm statistics are not yet available. 6 references