NCJ Number
113654
Journal
Child Abuse and Neglect Volume: 12 Issue: 3 Dated: (1988) Pages: 321-330
Date Published
1988
Length
10 pages
Annotation
A sample of 511 cases of alleged sexual abuse of children 12 years of age and under was analyzed with respect to the victim's age, sex, and type of abuse (whether committed by a family member or someone outside of the family).
Abstract
The study's findings reveal that 85.5 percent of the victims were females and 14.5 percent were male. The ages of the children ranged from 2 months to 12 years, with the mean age for girls 6.8 years and boys 7.4 years. Most of the victims (68 percent) had histories of a single assault by someone known to the child. Abuse patterns varied with the children's age, sex, and relationship to the assailant. School-aged victims were more likely to be assaulted by someone outside of the family. Older children suffered more severe forms of abuse than did younger children and were more often abducted. Boys were more likely to be assaulted by strangers and suffered more severe forms of abuse than did girls. One-time abuse by a stranger outside of the home environment often included abduction and physical force and was reported to the police. Of the aggressors, 97 percent were males and 3 percent were females. Almost 26 percent of the assailants were 15 years of age or younger. 25 references. 3 tables. (Author abstract modified)