Knowra Child sexual abuse Child sexual abuse Child sexual abuse is sexual activity imposed on a child who cannot legally or developmentally give informed consent. It includes contact and non-contact acts, exploitation, and grooming.
Child grooming : A process of building trust or dependence to facilitate a child’s sexual abuse or exploitation. Abusers may use gradual boundary violations and manufactured trust before or during abuse.
Consent : Voluntary, informed, and continuing agreement to an activity, given by someone with the capacity to agree. A child’s apparent cooperation does not make abusive sexual activity consensual.
Trauma-informed care : An approach to services that recognizes trauma’s effects and emphasizes safety, trust, choice, and collaboration. It guides support that avoids coercion or unnecessary retraumatization after abuse.
Complex post-traumatic stress disorder : A trauma-related disorder involving post-traumatic symptoms alongside difficulties with emotional regulation, self-concept, and relationships. Prolonged abuse can be associated with complex trauma, though outcomes vary widely.
Prevalence of child sexual abuse : The proportion of a population that has experienced sexual abuse during childhood. Estimates depend on definitions, sampling, disclosure, and methods of measurement.
Sexual exploitation of children : The use of children for sexual purposes, including trafficking, commercial sex, or abusive imagery. Exploitation extends abuse through coercion, exchange, or distribution beyond a single encounter.
Age of consent : The age set by law at which a person can legally consent to sexual activity. Legal thresholds vary, but they do not eliminate developmental vulnerability or power imbalance.
Forensic interview : A structured interview used to obtain reliable information from a child in an investigation. Careful, non-leading interviews can support investigations while limiting repeated questioning.
Adverse childhood experiences : Potentially traumatic events and harmful conditions experienced before adulthood that can affect health and well-being. Sexual abuse is one exposure studied in research on cumulative childhood adversity.
Disclosure of child sexual abuse : The process by which a child or adult survivor communicates experiences of childhood sexual abuse. Disclosure may be delayed, partial, or shaped by safety, memory, relationships, and social response.
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