Child Sexual Abuse

Child sexual abuse is physical or visual contact between an adult, teen, or another child and a child that results in sexual stimulation and gratification for the adult or minor. Child sexual abuse is often a gradual process, with the adult deliberately testing a child’s boundaries using their familiarity with the child, social status, or power. This process is called “grooming” and often happens by building trust, giving gifts or favors, separating the child from others, creating a norm of secrecy for other activities, and violating boundaries. The adult will continue to act in this manner and perpetrate sexual acts upon the child. This may go on for years and the child may never tell anyone about the abuse due to the coercive behaviors, feeling of love, dependence, and/or fear of the adult.

The majority of sexual victimization starts early in life.

Approximately 80% of female victims experienced their first rape before the age of 25 and almost half experienced the first rape before age 18 (30% between 11–17 years old and 12% at or before the age of 10).
About 35% of women who were raped as minors were also raped as adults compared to 14% of women without an early rape history.
28% of male victims of rape were first raped when they were 10 years old or younger.