NCJ Number
191932
Journal
Police Times Volume: 41 Issue: 4 Dated: October/November/December 2001 Pages: 7-PT-9-PT
Date Published
2001
Length
3 pages
Annotation
This article examines the problem of child sexual abuse.
Abstract
From the high profile cases of Jon Benet Ramey and Dutroux’s child pornography murders in Belgium, child sexual abuse has not received the media attention it had in the early to mid-eighties. Media coverage then served to raise public awareness of child sexual abuse and neglect, causing a dramatic 325 percent increase in reporting of child sexual abuse cases. Public consciousness accomplished other actions. Laws were passed, State funding for child protective services improved, and police departments added trained specialists. Retired detective Rollie Powell was such a specialist in the town of Rutland, Vermont. From 1982 to 1992, Powell dedicated 10 years of his life to fight and prevent child sexual abuse. Powell nevertheless saw public and political interest wane. His 10 year tour of duty served not only to reinforce the reality of the crime of child sexual abuse, and its proliferation, it established the link between abuse and juvenile crime. In 1994, the most recent year for which numbers have been published, the total reported cases of child abuse had increased by 44 percent to 3, 140,000. The incidence of child sexual abuse is still 11 percent of that number, or 345,000. Notwithstanding the few high profile cases that capture the media’s attention, 80 percent of cases involve known offenders, friends, caretakers, and the immediate family. Child molesters can be broadly categorized into two groups: fixated and regressed. The fixated molester or pedophile, whose primary sexual orientation is children, is estimated to generate on average 150 victims in a lifetime. The regressed child molester substitutes conflicting adult relationships for sexual involvement with a child. This type of offender operates predominately within the family. There is no system that protects the children. At best there is only a system that tries to intervene after the fact. In order to prevent child sexual abuse, this article offers nine suggestions, which include: provide love, understanding, support, and discipline. Children who feel neglected are more vulnerable; from age two up, teach a child what is inappropriate touching; and be suspicious of close relationships between your child and another adult. Once a child is abused there are a number of suggestions on how to deal with the situation. These include: do not ignore or minimize even the slightest hint of sexual abuse, no matter how insignificant it may seem; leave the interviewing to the experts; arrange for immediate therapy for your child; encourage family therapy; and, take action with regard to the offender.