Prevalence and Risk
Child sexual abuse is a serious public health problem. An estimated 104,000 children are reported as victims of child sexual abuse each year but most cases are never disclosed or reported therefore the actual prevalence is likely higher than official records reflect.
In FY 2023, Child Protective Services responded to approximately 3.1 million children, and 546,159 children were identified as victims of maltreatment.
Recent data indicate an estimated 1 in 4 girls and 1 in 6 boys in the U.S. will experience sexual abuse before age 18. That's nearly 70% of all reported sexual assaults (including assaults on adults) occur to children ages 17 and under.
Reporting Limitations
Most children don't tell even if they have been asked
· Evidence that a child has been sexually abused is not always obvious, and many children do not report that they have been abused.
· Over 30% of victims never disclose the experience to ANYONE.
· Young victims may not recognize their victimization as sexual abuse.
· Almost 80% initially deny abuse or are tentative in disclosing. Of those who do disclose, approximately 75% disclose accidentally.
Additionally, of those who do disclose, more than 20% eventually recant even though the abuse occurred.
· Fabricated sexual abuse reports constitute only 1% to 4% of all reported cases. Of these reports, 75% are falsely reported by adults and 25% are reported by children. Children only fabricate ½% of the time.
Most abuse is committed by someone the child knows and trusts. Even within the walls of their own homes, children are at risk for sexual abuse
· 30-40% of victims are abused by a family member.
· Another 50% are abused by someone outside of the family whom they know and trust.
· Approximately 40% are abused by older or larger children whom they know.
· Therefore, only 10% are abused by strangers.
Sexual abuse can occur at all ages, probably younger than you think
· The median age for reported abuse is 12 years old.
· More than 20% of children are sexually abused before the age of 8.
· Nearly 50% of all victims of forcible sodomy, sexual assault with an object, and forcible fondling are children under 12.
Consequences and Outcomes
Survivors are at increased risk for long-term physical, mental, and behavioral health issues, including depression, anxiety, substance misuse, and other chronic conditions.
Consequences of child sexual abuse begin affecting children and families immediately. They also affect society in innumerable and negative ways. These effects can continue throughout the life of the survivor so the impact on society for just one survivor continues over multiple decades. Try to imagine the impact of 39 million survivors.
Online and Digital Risk
Studies show a substantial prevalence of online child sexual exploitation, with about 1 in 12 children globally subject to some form of online sexual abuse or exploitation.
Online sexual exploitation is a rapidly growing concern. In 2024, 2 reported 20.5 million Cyber Tipline reports involving suspected online child sexual exploitation (representing 29.2 million reported incidents after adjustments), including more than 546,000 reports of online enticement.
Georgia-specific update: In 2023, reports of abuse/neglect were received for about 100,000 children in Georgia; 11,435 children had confirmed cases of abuse or neglect, and about 33,000 received an alternative response (typically supportive services).
