Child sexual abuse
...e child and perpetrator, and the number, frequency, and duration of the abuse experiences all appear to influence some outcomes. Thus sexually abused children constitute a very heterogeneous group with many degrees of abuse about whom few simple generalizations hold. The outcomes summarized in this review are based on studies in which the majority of subjects experienced more severe forms of sexual abuse, generally including some form of child or adult genital contact. EPIDEMIOLOGY OF CSA Before the late 1970s, CSA was regarded as rare. In the following decades, the incidence--based on official statistics--increased dramatically (Finkelhor, 1984; U.S Department of Health and Human Services, 1998). Although much of this apparent increase probably reflected a growing awareness among the public and professionals, some studies suggest that the overall incidence of child abuse and neglect increased. Using as official observers a variety of professionals who routinely came in contact with children, counting both reported and nonreported cases, the series of National Incidence Studies found a 67% increase (from 931,000 to 1,553,800 children) in all forms of child abuse from 1986 to 1993 (U.S. Department of Health...