Child sexual abuse has become a prevalent topic of study and discussion in the fields of Child Psychology, Pediatrics, Law Enforcement, and Social Work. But even with the widespread knowledge of identifiable behavior in its victims and abusers, society's response to child sexual abuse is failing profoundly. Rebecca Bolen's authoritative book, Child Sexual Abuse: Its Scope and Our Failure, clearly defines the scope of child sexual abuse and addresses society's ability to respond to the problem. It is her thesis that society's response to child sexual abuse is failing because the policies, programs, and statutes designed to assess and identify abuse are grounded in historical and myth-bound theoretical child sexual abuse literature rather than in the empirical knowledge base. This comprehensive text on child sexual abuse covers: The historical conceptualization of child sexual abuse, starting with Freud. A review of the empirical literature on the incidence and prevalence of child sexual abuse. The professional response to child sexual abuse. The most sophisticated model of risk of child sexual abuse done to date. Two new models of understanding reactions by nonoffending guardians. The pervasiveness of the threat of extrafamilial abuse. £/LIST£ This text is divided into three main areas of discussion: Sociohistorical Context, Scope of the Problem, and Aftermath. This comprehensive review can be used not only as a text, but also as a primary reference for professionals in government, law enforcement, medical, mental health, and any agency that works with child sexual abuse offenders and victims.

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List of Tables. List of Figures. Acknowledgements. Part I: Sociohistorical Context. 1. Introduction. 2. Historical Overview. 3. Theories of Child Sexual Abuse: An Historical and Sociocultural Perspective. 4. Methodology. Part II: Scope of the Problem. 5. Incidence and Prevalence of Child Sexual Abuse. 6. Extrafamilial Abuse. 7. Intrafamilial Abuse. 8. Risk Factors for Child Sexual Abuse Victimization. 9. Offenders. 10. Nonoffending Guardians. Part III: Aftermath. 11. Professional Response to Child Sexual Abuse. 12. Conclusions. Epilogue: It Takes a Village. References. Index.