The Consequences of Child Sexual Abuse for Female Development

Only in about the last two decades have people realized that the sexual abuse of children in America occurs frequently. Prior to that time sexual abuse, and especially familial sexual abuse or incest, was viewed as very rare. The National Center of Child Abuse and Neglect (NCCAN) sponsored three national incidence studies that were published in 1980 (Burgdorf, 1980), 1988 (NCCAN, 1988), and 1996 (NCCAN, 1996). All of these studies examined the annual incidence of child maltreatment in a representative sample of counties across the United States. Sexual abuse was one of four types of maltreatment examined and was defined as, “The…use, persuasion,…or coercion of any child to engage in…any sexually explicit conduct…or the rape,…statutory rape, molestation, prostitution, or other form of sexual exploitation of children, or incest with children” (NCCAN, 1996). The Third National Incidence and Prevalence Study (NCCAN, 1996) documented that each year approximately 300,000 children are recognized (by public agencies such as protective service and mental health agencies and the schools) as being sexually abused. This is a rate of between five and seven per thousand American children known to be sexually abused each year. It represents an increase in recognized cases of child sexual abuse of more than 100% from 1988 (NCCAN, 1988) and of more than 600% from 1980 to 1996 (NCCAN, 1996).