Child Sexual Abuse and Pedophilia

Child sexual abuse negatively affects many adults and children around the world. Estimates suggest that about 20% of women and between 5% and 10% of men report being sexually abused as children. Exact figures are difficult to determine because child sexual abuse remains a taboo subject, and many sex crimes are not reported because of fear and stigma or may go unheard because of lack of understanding. Flawed criminal justice systems also mean most sex crimes do not result in prosecution. In addition, there is no worldwide consensus on what constitutes childhood, resulting in variable ages at which consent to sex is determined to be legal, a factor that often shapes whether child sexual abuse is recognised.

This entry discusses the variety of defections of child ...