ABSTRACT

One consequence of the public interest in the issue of sexual abuse has been a dramatic rise in the number of women seeking help because of their childhood experiences. Statutory services and voluntary organizations have had to respond to this increased demand on their resources. People working with survivors have also been forced to examine their own attitudes and working practices, so that women can be offered the help most appropriate to their needs. Wider issues have also been debated; the legal framework for crimes of sexual violence has been examined and prevailing theories about the nature and extent of child sexual abuse have been challenged. Most importantly our understanding of child sexual abuse has been heightened by the testimony of survivors themselves. This chapter covers three main areas:

— a definition of some of the key terms used in the book; — a summary of the main theoretical perspectives that have been used to understand and

explain child sexual abuse; — a description of sexual abuse.