According to the 2021 Children’s Advocacy Center Annual Report, centers saw 1,165 girls and 563 boys.

Of the children that came to the centers, 51% were there due to an allegation of sexual abuse.

The reality is that child sexual abuse cases are extremely underreported. Research suggests that only about 38% of child victims disclose the fact they have been sexually abused. One study found that the average age child sexual abuse victims tell anyone they were abused is 52 years old. (Keep Kids Safe, 2021) And some victims may never disclose their abuse.

Approximately 90% of children who are sexually abused know their abuser. Only 10% of sexually abused children are abused by someone they don’t know. To break that 90% down even more: 30% of children who are abused are abused by family members. 60% of children who are sexually abused are abused by individuals that the family trusts. As many as 40% of children who are sexually abused are abused by older or more powerful children. (Child Sexual Abuse Statistics Fact Sheet)

The lifetime economic burden of child sexual abuse is approximately $9.3 billion, the lifetime cost for victims of fatal child sexual abuse per female and male victim is on average $1,128,334 and $1,482,933, respectively, and the average lifetime cost for victims of nonfatal child sexual abuse is $282,734 per female victim. For male victims of nonfatal child sexual abuse, there was insufficient information on productivity losses, contributing to a lower average estimated lifetime cost of $74,691 per male victim. (Letourneau, 2018)

Although the statistics are sobering. Together we can combat this crime that thrives in silence by spreading awareness, education, and developing policies that will safeguard our children from abuse.