Child Sexual Abuse

If you suspect a child you know is a survivor of child sexual abuse, there are signs and symptoms you can watch for. Learn not only how to recognize child sex abuse but also how to help children disclose and report the abuse when it occurs.

What is Child Sex Abuse?

Child sex abuse involves any sexual contact between an adult and a child or between an older child and a younger child for the sexual gratification of the older party. Sexual abuse of children takes numerous forms and does not always involve physical contact between the victim and the abusive party. Emotional abuse, sexual grooming, or exposure to pornography are all forms of child sexual abuse, even though they do not inherently involve physical contact or result in injury to the victim.

Keeping an eye out for warning signs of sexual abuse and establishing yourself as a safe and trustworthy adult can help protect children from abuse. If you suspect a child is suffering from abuse, it’s important to talk to them about it in a safe space and report the abuse to the appropriate authorities.

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Who Has the Highest Risk?

Child sexual abuse can happen to any child. However, certain youth demographics are statistically more likely to experience child sexual abuse than others. Demographic factors indicating a higher likelihood of sexual abuse include gender, disability status, social class, and family background.

Specifically, the following factors are associated with a heightened risk for children to experience child sexual abuse:

Females comprise 82 percent of all survivors of sexual abuse under the age of 18.
LGBT children or children who may go on to identify as LGBT as adults are vulnerable.
Children with mental and physical disabilities
- Physically disabled children are 2.9 times more likely than non-disabled children to experience sexual abuse.
- Intellectually, cognitively, or mentally disabled children are 4.6 times more likely than non-disabled children to experience sexual abuse.
Children from low-income families are three times as likely to experience childhood sexual abuse.
Children living in single-parent households or foster care
- Children living without both biological parents are 10 times as likely to be sexually abused.
- Children living with a biological parent and the parent’s non-biologically related partner are 20 times more likely to be sexually abused.
Children of parents struggling with problems like mental illness and drug addiction are vulnerable to abuse.
Children of color
- Indigenous and Black children, in particular, are over twice as likely as white children to experience child sexual abuse.