ABSTRACT
Cases of sexual abuse are surfacing at an alarming rate although we are currently uncertain as to whether this reflects greater incidence of sexual abuse or whether there is more public awareness and better reporting systems. Finkelhor (1984) argued that child sexual abuse used to be a common experience and that even King Louis XVII, as a child, was subject to the sexual whims of adults around him. Other authors claim that child sexual abuse is increasing dramatically (Fredrickson, 1987; Kempe & Kempe, 1984). Incidence studies vary according to the population being studied and the definitions employed. However, it is clear that the problem is far more prevalent than previously suspected, and even our present figures probably underrepresent actual totals (Finkelhor, 1979b; Herman, 1981).
