Facts and statistics

'Does it happen to anybody else?'

Despite the fact that childhood sexual abuse is not new, only in the last few years have people become more aware of how widespread it really is. Almost all surveys have indicated that the sexual abuse of girls is especially very common. Here are some facts and statistics.

· One in three females and one in seven males will be sexually assaulted in his or her lifetime. Also, for every rape reported, ten are not.

· Rapists rarely offend only once. The average number of different victims per rapist is seven.

· Approximately 60% to 80% of all sexual assaults are committed by someone known to the victim.

· Majority of rape cases occur during childhood and adolescence. 29% are less than 11 years old, 32% are between the ages of 11 and 17.

· About half of male offenders first begin sex 'offending' against children when they are adolescents. Sex offending by adolescents which involves abuse of younger children should not be dismissed merely as teenage experimenting or as a behavioral problem. It is important to take it seriously.

· Sex offenders can be as young as 5 to 11 years old. (The Children's Sexual Behaviours Program is the first in Australia to help children between 5 and 11 who have shown inappropriate sexual traits. This early intervention program aims to stop children becoming sex offenders. - Herald Sun, Nov. 25th 1998)

From these statistics it is clear that the topic of childhood sexual rape is common and urgent, demanding every counselor's attention and focus.

Kay Scott. 1993. Sexual Assault, Will I Ever Feel Okay Again?, Minneapolis: Bethany House Publishers, p. 199

Abel G. 1987. "Rape in America: A report to the Nation" Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 2 (1) p. 3-25

Kay Scott. 1993. Sexual Assault, Will I Ever Feel Okay Again?, Minneapolis: Bethany House Publishers, p. 199.

Sometimes cases of sexual abuse aren't very black and white. There are gray areas such as date rape and cases where the young adolescent sincerely believes to have fallen in love with her abuser. In these cases it is important to look at the power imbalance between the two. (see Appendix B) Often the consequences and the damage in the long run are very similar to someone being raped by a stranger. Worse still these victims seem to struggle with trust issues more so than the 'black and white' victims.

"Rape in America: A report to the Nation" April 23, 1992, prepared by: National Victim Centre, Virginia and Crime Victims Research and treatment centre, South Carolina.

Patrick Parkinson. 1997. Child Sexual Abuse and the Churches, London: Hodder & Stoughton, p. 43