Child sexual abuse- prevalent and destructive

Abstract The pervasiveness of child sexual abuse in our society is becoming increasingly clear through an academic climate that no longer views this abuse as taboo. However, society at large seems reluctant to acknowledge let alone deal adequately with the issue. Psychologists, primarily because of the nature of their role, are continually faced with harrowing tales of child sexual abuse. As a group, psychologists cannot avoid the issue (Read, Kirsty, Argyle & Aderhold, 2003). Increasingly, …

…is still lacking. If education and awareness programs are put into place, this would promote support and thus create funding. Psychologists are responsible to the public to instigate the overcoming of disbelief with understanding, indifference and indignance, and reluctance to intervene with an intolerance of the victimisation of children. Tragic as it is, child abuse has a great deal to teach us about etiology, outcome, and intervention for psychiatric disorders, neurobiological dysregulation and dysfunctional behaviours.