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—The average victim of child sexual abuse is between 8 and 11.

—One of every five girls and one of every eight boys is sexually abused by age 12.

—Some experts estimate that five or six children in a typical classroom of thirty have been affected by sexual abuse, regardless of geographic area, race, or socioeconomic class.

—Men are responsible for from 90 to 97 percent of currently reported abuse cases.

—Between 60 and 90 percent of victims of child sexual abuse are girls.

—Offenders are not usually strangers; 70 to 80 percent of offenders are known to children.

—The average length of an incestuous relationship is three years; it is rarely a one-time occurrence.

—In the U.S., it's estimated that from 200,000 to 500,000 children are sexually abused each year; only 100,000 of these cases are reported.

—Beth J. Lueders

Preventing Sexual Abuse: Activities and Strategies for Those Working with Children and Adolescents by Carol A. Plummer (Learning Publications, 1984); Obstetrics and Gynecology (Vol. 71, No. 4), cited in Hope Health Newsletter; and the National Center on Child Abuse.

1997 by the author or Christianity Today International/Leadership Journal. For reprint information call 630-260-6200 or e-mail ljeditor@leadershipjournal.net.

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