The issue of child sexual abuse has recently garnered national attention as a result of Dylan Farrow’s open letter about her alleged abuse. This case, which alleges sexual abuse that occurred over 20 years ago and is now resurfacing, is receiving extensive media attention, but there are so many more cases like this one that are never brought to light.
As Rhode Island’s only agency designed specifically to deal with issues of sexual assault and abuse as a community concern, Day One is uniquely qualified to share with the community what we do know about child sexual abuse:
Victim Statistics*
- One in four girls and one in six boys are sexually abused before the age of 18
- The average age for first abuse is 9.9 years for boys and 9.6 years for girls
- Abuse typically occurs within a long-term, on-going relationship between the offender and victim, escalates over time and lasts an average of four years
- 93% of juvenile sexual assault victims know their attacker, 34.2% of attackers were family members and 58.7% were acquaintances and only 7% of the perpetrators were strangers to the victim
- Many child sexual abuse victims never disclose their abuse to anyone. Less than 10% of child sexual abuse is reported to the police
- Fabricated sexual abuse reports constitute only 1% to 4% of all reported cases. Of these reports 75% are reported by adults. Children fabricate sexual abuse less than 1% of the time. Unsubstantiated reports, meaning the evidence is inconclusive, do not necessarily mean the reports are false.
Victims of sexual assault are:
- 3 times more likely to suffer from depression
- 6 times more likely to suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder
- 13 times more likely to abuse alcohol
- 26 times more likely to abuse drugs
- 4 times more likely to contemplate suicide
Day One offers trauma-informed care for childhood sexual abuse survivors. The length of treatment and the severity of symptoms depend on a number of factors, including when the child discloses and how the adult responds. We know that if a child is not believed, symptoms become more severe and can last longer. When a child discloses and the caregiver immediately seeks action, there is a much shorter duration of treatment and symptoms are less severe.
In addition to our dedicated therapy programs that help survivors heal and go on to lead fulfilling lives, Day One’s Children’s Advocacy Center (CAC) is a coordinated effort that aims to reduce the trauma experienced by children once a disclosure has been made and they become involved in the system. We remain committed to being available for any case of child sexual abuse.
Hope. Healing. Action! 