NCJ Number
199396
Journal
SIECUS Report Volume: 29 Issue: 1 Dated: October/November 2000 Pages: 5-10
Date Published
October 2000
Length
6 pages
Annotation
This article documents the evolution of the public and professional knowledge of child sexual abuse from the early 1970’s through the late 1990’s.
Abstract
The author, who is a doctor, begins by discussing the first case of child sexual abuse she had ever encountered. This case occurred in 1972, a time when very little was known about child sexual abuse. The author discusses the evolution of knowledge about this subject as it gained recognition through the 1970’s, 1980’s, and 1990’s. She also describes the evolution of laws regulating discovery and reporting of child sexual abuse. Thanks to increased professional awareness of this epidemic problem, most jurisdictions now have a 24-hour, toll-free reporting number for suspected cases of child abuse. Most also have on-call staff to immediately investigate emergency complaints. Evolution in civil and criminal law has also occurred since the 1970’s. Complaints of child sexual abuse by a nonfamily member are handled by the police, while complaints of abuse by family members tends to be investigated by civil authorities, such as Child Protective Services. Many of these cases involving family members are turned over to the local police once a finding of abuse has been made by the acting civil agency. The author then goes on to describe investigative techniques and practices that have emerged since the 1970’s. Although there is no universal protocol for investigating, child investigative professionals have come to understand that the manner in which child sexual abuse investigations are conducted has a significant impact on their results. In conclusion, the author notes that although many myths and misconceptions about child sexual abuse have been overcome, there is a continuing need for public and professional education, as well as research. 13 References