THE EFFECTS ON CHILDREN OF SEXUAL ABUSE
The objectives of this research are to (1) review literature relevant to the incidence, causes, and effects of child sexual abuse (CSA), (2) review the concepts of symbolic interaction and systems theory as these concepts are relevant to CSA, and (3) compare and contrast the two conceptual frameworks as means of providing explanations for and solutions to the phenomenon of CSA. Each of these objectives is dealt with in a separate discussion section of this paper.
The Phenomenon of Child Sexual Abuse:
American society is becoming increasingly sensitized to sex-related criminal behavior. Politicians, social service professionals, criminal justice professionals, and other responsible parties are under increasing pressures to develop and implement policies that will both protect the public, provide assistance to victims, and provide help to the extent possible to the perpetrators of sexual offenses.
Reports indicate that the number of CSA cases in the United States increases annually, and that these increases are greater than the increase in the child population of the country (Ginsberg, 1992, p. 29). The year-to-year percentage increase in the number of CSA cases has been decreasing since 1983; however, society cannot be complacent about this apparent trend, because as the base number of CSA cases increase an increase in the absolute number o such cases occurring within a given year may not translate into an increase in the growth rate for child sexual abuse cases over the rate recorded in the preceding year. Politicians and public administrators typically are quick to claim credit for the false improvement in a situation deriving from such mathematical anomalies. Social work professionals, however, must not allow themselves to be lulled by the smoke and mirrors of such situations.
There are strong societal tendencies to blame victims for the sexual abuse perpetrated against th...