Children have difficulty telling even when they are asked * Evidence that a child has been sexually abused is not always obvious, and many children do not report that they have been abused. * Over 30% of victims never disclose the experience to ANYONE. * Young victims may not recognize their victimization as sexual abuse. * Almost 80% initially deny abuse or are tentative in disclosing. Of those who do disclose, approximately 75% disclose accidentally. Additionally, of those who do disclose, more than 20% eventually recant even though the abuse occurred. * Fabricated sexual abuse reports constitute only 1% to 4% of all reported cases. Of these reports, 75% are falsely reported by adults and 25% are reported by children. Children only fabricate ½% of the time. Consequences of child sexual abuse begin affecting children and families immediately. They also affect society in innumerable and negative ways. These effects can continue throughout the life of the survivor so the impact on society for just one survivor continues over multiple decades. Try to imagine the impact of 39 million survivors. Teenage Pregnancy and Promiscuity: * Children who have been victims of sexual abuse exhibit long-term and more frequent behavioral problems, particularly inappropriate sexual behaviors. * Women who report childhood rape are 3 times more likely to become pregnant before age 18. * An estimated 60% of teen first pregnancies are preceded by experiences of molestation, rape, or attempted rape. The average age of their offenders is 27 years. * Victims of child sexual abuse are more likely to be sexually promiscuous. * More than 75% of teenage prostitutes have been sexually abused.

Child sexual abuse affects ones health and behavior * The way a victim's family responds to abuse plays an important role in how the incident affects the victim. * Sexually abused children who keep it a secret or who "tell" and are not believed are at greater risk than the general population for psychological, emotional, social, and physical problems often lasting into adulthood. * Children who have been victims of sexual abuse are more likely to experience physical health problems (e.g., headaches). * Victims of child sexual abuse report more symptoms of PTSD, more sadness, and more school problems than non-victims. * Victims of child sexual abuse are more likely to experience major depressive disorder as adults. * Young girls who are sexually abused are more likely to develop eating disorders as adolescents. * Adolescent victims of violent crime have difficulty in the transition to adulthood, are more likely to suffer financial failure and physical injury, and are at risk to fail in other areas due to problem behaviors and outcomes of the victimization.