A compilation of research from the National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) and other research articles indicate that:

• 1 in 4 girls is sexually abused before the age of 18.
• 1 in 6 boys is sexually abused before the age of 18. Nearly 70% of all reported sexual assaults (including assaults on adults) occur to children ages 17 and under.
• An estimated 39 million survivors of childhood sexual abuse exist in America today.
• 30-40% of victims are abused by a family member.
• Another 50% are abused by someone outside of the family whom they know and trust. (Of the 50% of offenders outside the family, approximately 40% are abused by older or larger children whom they know and 10% by adults they know.)
• Therefore, only 10% are abused by strangers.

Sexual abuse can occur at all ages:

• The median age for reported abuse is 9 years old.
• More than 20% of children are sexually abused before the age of 8.
• Nearly 50% of all victims of forcible sodomy, sexual assault with an object and forcible fondling are children under 12.

Keep in mind that evidence that a child has been sexually abused is not always obvious and many children do not report that they have been abused. Over 30% of victims never disclose the experience to ANYONE. Young victims may not recognize their victimization as sexual abuse. Almost 80% initially deny abuse or are tentative in disclosing. Of those who do disclose, approximately 75% disclose accidentally. Additionally, of those who do disclose, more than 20% eventually recant even though the abuse occurred.

Fabricated sexual abuse reports constitute only 1% to 4% of all reported cases. Of these reports, 75% are falsely reported by adults and 25% are reported by children. Children only fabricate ½% of the time.

Offenders:

• The typical child sex offender molests an average of 117 children, most of whom do not report the offence. (National Institute of Mental Health)
• About 95% of victims know their perpetrators.
• It is estimated that approximately 71% of child sex offenders are under 35 and knew the victim at least casually.
• About 80% of these individuals fall within normal intelligence ranges.
• 59% gain sexual access to their victims through seduction or enticement.
• Offenders with pedophilia molest about 88% of child abuse victims.

Recidivism rates:

• A five-year follow-up study found that same-sex child molesters had the highest rate of previous sex offenses (53 percent), as well as the highest reconviction rate for sex crimes (30 percent).
• In comparison, 43 percent of opposite-sex child molesters had prior sex offenses and a reconviction rate for sex crimes of 25 percent, and incest offenders had prior convictions at a rate of 11 percent and a reconviction rate of 6 percent.
• Interestingly, the recidivism rate for same-sex child molesters for other crimes against persons was also quite high, with 26 percent having reconvictions for these offenses.
• Similarly, a number of other studies have found that child molesters have relatively high rates of nonsexual offenses.

(CSOM-Center for Sex Offender Management-US Dept of Justice)