NCJ Number
130408
Date Published
1991
Length
244 pages
Annotation
Based on the author's research, his personal experiences as a child molester, and his interviews with other child molesters, this book provides information on the nature, methods, treatment, and prevention of child sexual abuse.
Abstract
Using a question-and-answer format, the first section of the book provides brief answers to a comprehensive battery of questions on child sexual abuse. Questions addressed pertain to the scope of child sexual abuse in the United States, the definition of child sexual abuse, reasons for child sexual abuse, laws against it, the characteristics of child molesters, the appropriate legal response to child molesters, the effectiveness of the criminal justice response to child molesters, victim profiles, incest, the effects of sexual abuse on the child, and obstacles to preventing and treating child sexual abuse. The next major section of the book describes scenarios typical of the contexts and methods through which child sexual abuse is perpetrated. The third section first discusses research on child molestation and suggests possible indicators of a child molester. It then describes signs that may indicate a child is being or has been sexually abused. Guidelines from various agencies indicate how parents can talk to their children about sexual abuse, including how to relate to a child that may already have been abused. The remaining two sections focus on definitions, laws, legal aspects, and resources. A 1,725-item bibliography with selected annotations and a subject index