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Contributing Factors to Child Sexual Abuse

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Evidence-Informed Assessment and Practice in Child Welfare

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Abstract

Literature and research relevant to child sexual abuse are reviewed. Though diverse and often conflicting, the predictive factors described generally focused on the personal characteristics of the abuser, the personal characteristics of the victim, the family dynamics, and economic factors. Most authors agree as to the harmful effects on the victim, and a long and varied list is presented. Community-based programs and multiple modalities are seen as the treatment trends, with concentration on family treatment. The need for further research, particularly in the area of causation, is discussed. Evaluation research on the effectiveness of the treatment programs is seen as desirable. The implications for a change in society’s view and treatment of children are presented.

The problem of child sexual abuse has captured the attention of the public, the media, and professionals who work with families and children. As a result of this new awareness, social workers and members of other helping professions are being turned to for answers regarding causation and effective treatment techniques in working with child sexual abuse victims and their families.

Though estimates of the incidence of child sexual abuse vary significantly, data indicate a widely prevalent problem. Estimates range from 100,000 to 500,000 youths who are sexually molested each year although it has been pointed out that statistics fail to reveal the problem’s magnitude because child abuse often goes unreported (Newton et al., Academic Emergency Medicine 17:117–125, 2010; Foster, American Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences 1:97–108, 2013; Spataro et al., The British Journal of Psychiatry 184:416–421, 2004). The US Department of Health and Human Services reports that 695,000 unique children were victims of sexual abuse in fiscal year 2010 (US Health). Researchers report varying percentages of women in their studies who were sexually abused before age 18: 25 % (Weber, Ms. Magazine 5: 64–67, 1977), 28 %, and 38 % (Chen et al., Mayo Clinic Proceedings 86: 618–629, 2010). Females are reported as victims of child sexual abuse much more often than are males, however, other authors point out that male victims are vastly underreported (Spataro et al., The British Journal of Psychiatry 184:416–421, 2004).

This chapter addresses aspects of child sexual abuse that are pertinent to social work practice: characteristics of the perpetrators, family and child traits, effects, treatment, and practice issues.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA

    Prof. John S. Wodarski

  2. University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA

    Sandy R. Johnson

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  1. Prof. John S. Wodarski
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Correspondence to John S. Wodarski .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. School of Social Work, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA

    John S. Wodarski

  2. School of Social Work, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA

    Michael J. Holosko

  3. Ethelyn R. Strong School of Social Work, Norfolk State University, Norfolk, Virginia, USA

    Marvin D. Feit

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Wodarski, J., Johnson, S. (2015). Contributing Factors to Child Sexual Abuse. In: Wodarski, J., Holosko, M., Feit, M. (eds) Evidence-Informed Assessment and Practice in Child Welfare. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-12045-4_4

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