em. Some perpetrators of sexual abuse continue to hold the view that such behavior is not an act of violence (Melville, 1991, p. 24). The motives for sexual assault on children usually involve power and lust to some degree. Until the combination of these two factors are effectively addressed in the thinking of both society and the individual members of society, one can expect that sexual assault generally and child sexual assault particularly will continue. Most family systems theorists place the origins of CSA in disturbances in family structure and interaction patterns (the two conceptual frameworks addressed in this literature review); however, feminist theorists link child sexual abuse to wider practices of male oppression (Frosh, 1988, pp. 1-10).
A variety of reasons underlie the social and psychological problems exhibited by many children in contemporary society. One of these factors is sexual abuse perpetrated by someone in a position of trust or authority in the life of a young person (Howing, 1990, pp. 244-49). One of the most debilitating outcomes of sexual abuse experienced by a young person is a loss of self-esteem (Ogata, 1990, pp. 1008-1013). Sexual abuse, together with the hopelessness and depression that often stems from such abuse, frequently leads to a loss of self-esteem (Madonna, 1991, pp. 46-49). The cycle of abuse, hopelessness, depression, and the loss of self-esteem is associated with such outcomes as a failure to develop effective interpersonal skills, ineffective social integration, and dysfunctional families (Jean-Gilles & Crittenden, 1990, pp. 323-329).
Pollock (1990, pp. 1290-1293) found that children of divorced parents were more likely than were other children to experience sexual abuse. The battered child is the most prevalent image of the abused child in the United States; however, psychological damage stemming from sexual abuse frequently poses more serious risks for the child.
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