Childhood Sexual Abuse Information

Learn more about the facts, prevalence, and impacts of Childhood Sexual Abuse.

What is Childhood Sexual Abuse?

The term “Childhood Sexual Abuse” (CSA) refers to any type of sexual assault or misconduct experienced by someone under the age of 18.

  • Approximately 1 in 10 Canadians experience childhood sexual abuse before age 15.
  • Approximately 55-69% of survivors of CSA do not disclose the abuse while it is occurring.
  • Typically, CSA is perpetrated by someone known to the child. Most commonly, it is a parent or step-parent, grandparent, aunt or uncle, or close family friend. However, CSA can also be perpetrated by other adults in positions of authority or power over children such as teachers, coaches, religious leaders, or doctors.
  • It is quite common for the effects of CSA to appear years after the abuse has ended, and into adulthood. Burying painful memories of CSA is often a coping mechanism for children in abusive situations, meaning that memories may arise later in life.

Impact Stats

6,200

Metric XYZ

7.5

Metric XYZ

6,200

Metric XYZ

58

Metric XYZ

1,600

Metric XYZ
  • CSA in the family context is often perpetrated by male family members, although not always.
  • While CSA is typically perpetrated by an adult, it can also be perpetrated by another child or youth.
  • CSA in families usually happens at the same time as other types of family violence, including physical, emotional, or psychological abuse.
  • There is a common misconception that allegations of CSA made during parental separation are false, but in actuality, it is most often the case that these allegations of CSA are truthful.
  • There are many complicating factors that prevent children experiencing sexual abusing in the family context from reporting the abuse. Including: Not wanting to get the abuser ‘in trouble’, fear that they won’t be believed, and feeling like they might be blamed for the abuse they experienced.

Childhood Sexual Abuse (CSA) in 2SLGBTQIA+ Communities

  • In addition to the typical barriers to support and justice that survivors of CSA experience, survivors who identify as 2SLGBTQIA+ often face additional barriers. Including: Threats of ‘outing’, multiple victimizations, absence of targeted supports, and increased risk of homelessness.
  • Approximately 50% of transgender and gender-diverse youth have experienced CSA at some point in their lives.
  • 2SLGBTQIA+ children and youth who experience CSA may also be subjected to harmful and false assumptions and myths. Including: That because they identify as 2SLGBTQIA+ they are more promiscuous than non-2SLGBTQIA+ children and youth, that their 2SLGBTQIA+ identity makes them predatory in some way, and even heightened victim blaming because of someone’s 2SLGBTQIA+ identity.
  • Overall, 2SLGBTQIA+ children and youth tend to experience higher rates of CSA than non-2SLGBTQIA+ children and youth.

Childhood Sexual Abuse (CSA) Against Women and Girls

  • While people of any gender can and do experience CSA, women are nearly twice as likely to have a history of CSA.
  • There is much evidence to suggest that women who have experienced CSA are at increased risk for anxiety, depression, PTSD, and substance misuse.
  • It is estimated that 8% of women experienced CSA as children.
  • Experiences of CSA as children increases the risk that women and girls will be revictimized in some way later in life.
  • Compared to heterosexual women, it has been found that lesbian and bisexual women tend to experience both higher rates and more severe forms of CSA.
  • Many women and girls who are incarcerated have histories of CSA. Such experiences make it more likely that someone will stay involved with the justice system throughout their life.

Childhood Sexual Abuse (CSA) Against Boys and Men

  • Boys may experience CSA in a variety of settings and places. Including: The home, at school, in a sports setting, in clubs, and at religious institutions.
  • Some of the most common effects of CSA on men and boys include: Anger, PTSD, depression, anxiety, and adverse educational outcomes.
  • Due to societal norms around masculinity, it may be very difficult for men and boys to see themselves as having experienced CSA.
  • The way that the world encourages boys and men to be ‘tough’ and to thwart any kind of perceived weakness can mean that boys and men who speak up about experiencing CSA are stigmatized.
  • There are also pervasive myths and inaccuracies about boys and men who experience CSA. Including: That boys and men can’t be sexually abused, that it says something about their sexuality if they experienced CSA, and that because boys are supposed to be ‘tough’ that they should have been able to stop the abuse.

Sources

  • Loanna Heidinger. (2022). “Profile of Canadians who experienced victimization during childhood, 2018.” Statistics Canada: https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/85-002-
    x/2022001/article/00016-eng.pdf
  • Saskatoon Sexual Assault and Information Centre. (n.d.). “Adult Survivors of Childhood Sexual Abuse.” https://ssaic.ca/learningresources/
    adult-survivors-of-childhood-sexual-abuse/
    Saskatoon Sexual Assault Information Centre. (n.d.). “Child Sexual Abuse.” https://ssaic.ca/child-sexual-abuse/
    Delphine Collin-Vezina, Mirielle De La Sablonniere-Griffin, Andrea
  • M. Palmer, Lise Milne. (2015). “A preliminary mapping of individual, relational, and social factors that impede disclosure of childhood sexual abuse.” Child Abuse and Neglect. 43, pp. 123-134.
  • Nola Webb, Lawrence J. Moloney, Bruce M. Smyth, Robyn L. Murphy. (2021). “Allegations of child sexual abuse: An empirical analysis of published judgements from the Family Courts of Australia 2012-2019.” Australian Journal of Social Issues, 56: 322-343.
  • Sara Scott. (2023). “Key messages from research on intra-familial child sexual abuse.” Centre of Expertise on Child Sexual Abuse: csacentre.org.uk/app/uploads/2023/09/key-messages-from-research-on-intra-familial-child-sexual-abuse-2nd-edition.pdf
  • Justice Canada. (n.d.) “About Family Violence.” Government of Canada: justice.gc.ca/eng/cj-jp/fv-vf/about-apropos.html
  • Statistics Canada. (2023). “Trends in police-reported family violence and intimate partner violence in Canada, 2022.” www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/en/daily-quotidien/231121/df231121b-eng.pdf?st=moN62hM
  • Mark Capaldi, Jennifer Schatz, Mark Kavenagh. (2024). “Child sexual abuse/exploitation and LGBTQI+ children: Context, links vulnerabilities, gaps, challenges, and priorities.” Child Protection and Practice, 1 pp. 1-7.
  • Nadine Wathen. (2012). “Health Impacts of Violent Victimization on Women and their Children.” Research and Statistics Division, Department of Justice Canada.
  • Lisa M. Alvy, Tonda L. Hughes, Arlinda F. Kristjanson, Sharon C. Wilsnack. (2013). “Sexual Identity Group Differences in Child Abuse and Neglect.” Journal of Interpersonal Violence. 20, no. 10, pp. 2088-2111.
  • Lindsay C. Malloy, Jessica E. Sutherland, Elizabeth Cauffman. (2021). “Sexual abuse disclosure among incarcerated female adolescents and young adults.” Child Abuse and Neglect. 116, pp. 1-10.
  • Susan McDonald & Adamira Tijerino. (2013). “Male Survivors of Sexual Abuse and Assault: Their Experiences.” Department of Justice Canada: justice.gc.ca/rp-pr/cj-jp/victim/rr13_8/rr13_8.pdf
  • Slegh, H., Spielberg, W., & Ragonese, C. (2021). Masculinities and Male Trauma: Making the Connections. Washington, DC: Promundo – US.