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Article
8. The science of child sexual abuse.
Science (2005)
  • Jennifer J. Freyd, University of Oregon
  • Frank W. Putnam, Department of Pediatrics, Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH
  • Thomas D. Lyon, University of Southern California
  • Kathryn A. Becker-Blease, University of New Hampshire, Durham
  • Ross E. Cheit, Brown University
  • Nancy B. Siegel, NBS Associates, Columbia, MD
  • Kathy Pezdek, Claremont Graduate University
Abstract
Child sexual abuse (CSA) involving sexual contact between an adult (usually male) and a child has been reported by 20% of women and 5 to 10% of men worldwide (1–3). Surveys likely underestimate prevalence because of underreporting and memory failure (4–6). Although official reports have declined somewhat in the United States over the past decade (7), close to 90% of sexual abuse cases are never reported to the authorities (8).
Keywords
  • child sexual abuse,
  • child maltreatment,
  • child testimony
Publication Date
November, 2005
Citation Information
Freyd, J. J., Putnam, F. W., Lyon, T. D., Becker-Blease, K. A., Cheit, R. E., Siegel, N. B., & Pezdek, K. (2005). The science of child sexual abuse. Science, 308, 501. doi:10.1126/science.1108066