One in four girls and one in six boys

will become a victim of child sexual abuse before their 18th birthday. Child sexual abuse occurs at every socioeconomic level, across ethnic and cultural lines, in all religions and at all levels of education. Stranger danger does not usually apply – 90% of the time a child is assaulted, it is by someone they know. These children are “groomed.” 

Five percent. That’s it.

Only 5% of reported child sexual abuse cases end in conviction. Why? To secure a conviction, children must face their abusers in court, and multi-disciplinary teams must corroborate the child’s story beyond a reasonable doubt. Yet a lot of times, these criminal acts are done between the perpetrator and victim, with no witnesses. These are difficult and volatile cases, and they are extremely traumatizing for the child. How can we help them?

There is hope.