Childhood sexual abuse (CSA) is a scourge in our society which, unchecked, leads to ongoing victimisation and intergenerational trauma. The impacts are profound and lifelong. The statistics are shocking:
According to Australian Bureau of Statistics, 11% of women report sexual abuse by an adult perpetrator before the age of 15 and, of these, 69% report it happening more than once. The perpetrator was most likely known to them (88%) and commonly a family member (47%) Most commonly, the first incident of CSA occurred between the ages of five and nine (49%), involved one perpetrator (85%) and was never reported to the police (84%). Of all recorded reports of sexual assault to NSW Police in 2022, 59% of victims were under 18. Of these, 71% were aged 10-17 years old and 79% were female.
Another recent study, the 2023 Australian Child Maltreatment Study (ACMS) found that 28.5% of Australians experienced childhood sexual abuse and that girls (37.3%) experience it at double the rate of boys (18.8%). The ACMS found that one in four Australians experienced one or more types of contact CSA (23.7%) while almost one in five experienced non-contact CSA (18.1%) and almost one in ten experienced forced sex in childhood (8.7%).
The grooming process causes vulnerable children to feel complicit in their abuse so that they carry shame and self-blame for an average of 20.6 years before disclosing their trauma. Having trust violated at a formative stage of emotional development, this can set the stage for ongoing mental health and wellbeing ranging from low self-worth and unhealthy relationships to severe mental health disorders.
Despite this level of prevalence, childhood sexual abuse remains a taboo topic. While it may make people feel uncomfortable, this is nothing in comparison to the impact on survivors of staying silent. Until recently, domestic violence was also taboo. Women were shamed and blamed for the abuse perpetrated upon them and were forced to endure ongoing abuse due to a lack of resources. We have seen a shift whereby a language has grown around domestic violence and we now have legislation to reflect the nuances, such as coercive control. Likewise, CSA thrives in the shadows. DV and CSA have traditionally been kept in silos, despite their fundamental connection.
Stepping Out is a specialist service with a long history of supporting adult female survivors of childhood sexual abuse, never having wavered in our original goal. We use clinical expertise to connect survivors so they feel heard, believed and less alone. We believe that it is time for CSA to be discussed frankly, bravely and without judgement within the wider context of gendered violence against women.