Facts & Figures
• Child sexual abuse occurs when an adult, or someone bigger than the child, uses his or her authority or power over the child, or takes advantage of the child’s trust and respect, to involve the child in sexual activity.

• The offender often uses tricks, bribes, threats, guilt and sometimes physical force to make the child take part and to stop the child from telling anyone about it.

•  Boys and girls of any ages can be sexually abused.

• Children very rarely lie about sexual abuse.

• Children who are sexually abused often find it difficult to tell someone what is happening to them. The offender actively works to make the child keep it a secret.

•  Families can help by encouraging a loving environment where children are able to talk openly about their feelings and know that they will be taken seriously.

• Child sexual abuse is never the fault of anyone but the offender.

• Child sexual abusers prey not only on the child but also on those people around the child, who could be in a position to protect the child.

• The practices of offenders involve manipulating the system to keep their actions hidden. They may achieve this by threatening the child or people associated with the child.

• Offenders can make themselves appear very respectable and may work to undermine the child’s reputation so the child won’t be believed.

• Child sex offenders are usually very ordinary people who could come from any background; can hold any position within the community; are often well respected, making it much more difficult for a child to tell someone; are usually male; are often related to the child or are a family friend; are always very careful to ensure they are not suspected of child sexual abuse.

• In 85-90% cases of child sexual abuse, the perpetrator was someone well known to the child and usually a relative.

• 1 in 4 girls and 1 in 9 boys will be sexually abused before they reach the age of 18.

• One in five girls and one in ten boys may be sexually abused in childhood.

• Anyone, male or female, could have a sexual offending problem.

• Sexual abuse of children with a disability is higher than the rate of children with no disability.

• Child sexual abuse is related to the development of psychiatric distress in adulthood and is linked to health risks over the life course.

• Those with sexual behaviour problems can include adults and young people, as well as children under ten years. Children under 12 years are responsible for some child sexual abuse (13%). Some very young children who are themselves victims of sexual abuse, act out sexually with their siblings (35%) and friends (34%).

• It is commonly thought the reconviction rate is high for adults who sexually abuse children. However, research shows the reconviction rate actually ranges from 13% to 23%, and is less for those who successfully complete a specialised treatment program.

•  It is possible to identify a small group of high risk sex offenders whose likelihood for repeat offences is greater than 50%. Those who are re-convicted for child sexual abuse have often harmed a high number of children.

• Seventy-six per cent of female and seventy per cent of male child sexual assault victims know the offender.

•  In the overwhelming majority of instances of child sexual offence, the perpetrator is the father, step-father, mother’s de facto partner, brother, uncle or grandfather of the victim.

•  Most people who sexually abuse children are men, about 98 per cent.

• Of the cases that are reported to authorities, the victims of incest are about 80 per cent female and 20 per cent male.

•  One research report says that the average number of times that a female child is sexually abused is 81.3 times, with the average number of times for boys being 62.3 times.

• Research indicates that of those men who abuse children within their families, 66 per cent of them are also abusing children outside their own family and many also abuse adult women.

• Research tells us that the people who sexually abuse children do so in a planned way and work out times to be alone with children. Without intervention to protect the child we know that sexual abuse will continue, become more frequent and more intrusive.

• Sexual offenders come from all walks of life. One research study found that about half of the men who sexually abused children were in a stable relationship and nearly half had completed at least one year of university.

•  Between 20 per cent and 50 per cent of men who are sexual offenders claim to have been sexually abused themselves as children.

•It is estimated that 38% of girls and 9% of boys will experience some form of sexual assault in their childhood.

• Nearly one child in every five using the internet has been approached online by a stranger and 47 per cent have been exposed to inappropriate material, such as pornography, according to a national survey of parents.

• It is believed the number of Australians abusing children overseas is in the thousands.