NCJ Number
171702
Editor(s)
B Leone,
B Stalcup,
S Barbour,
P A Winters
Date Published
1998
Length
96 pages
Annotation
The debate about child sexual abuse continues, in part because it is impossible to determine the exact extent of the problem, and disagreement regarding the reporting and prosecution of child sexual abuse cases reflects deeper dissension about the impact of child sexual abuse on society.
Abstract
Media sources have reported numerous child sexual abuse cases in which persons in positions of trust, including day care providers and clergy, have been accused and sometimes convicted of molesting children under their care. Many of these charges have been made by adults who claim to have recovered repressed memories of abuse they were subjected to as children. Other widely reported stories have involved children being abused and sometimes murdered by convicted child molesters newly released from prison. In addition, pedophiles have reported lured child victims into abusive situations via the Internet. While some researchers and social critics maintain the extent of the child sexual abuse problem has been exaggerated and indicate the problem of overreporting is compounded by the manner in which reports are handled by child protection agencies and investigators, other experts believe many child sexual abuse cases are never reported to authorities. The collection of papers reflects opposing viewpoints on the prevalence of child sexual abuse, the validity of repressed memories of child abuse, the seriousness of child molestation committed by other children, and the extent of child molestation by clergy. A list of organizations concerned with child sexual abuse issues is included. 91 references