Child
sexual abuse is defined as the involvement of a child in sexual
activity that he or she does not fully comprehend, is unable to give
informed consent to, or for which the child is not developmentally
prepared and cannot give consent, or that violates the laws or social
taboos of society.
Research predominantly shows child sexual
abuse is perpetrated against female children. However, Sexual abuse
of boys is far more common than generally believed .
Worldwide
it is difficult to have numbers for child sexual abuse because
generally they are not reported until the victims become teenagers or
adults. Often these crimes are not disclosed, detected or reported
because they are generally crimes only witnessed by the abuser and
the victim. Although the abusers can be women, most child sexual
abuse is committed by men. Sexual abuse can be physical, verbal or
emotional and the perpetrator is usually very closed to the victim.
