Conclusions

Child sexual assault is a continuing global problem in both the developed and the developing world. It crosses nation, region, race, class and religion. Historically, we are still uncovering information about CSA in the past, through research in court transcripts, media reports and medical records.

We can however trace broader attitudes towards child sexual assault, and several themes emerge. In most regions of the world, sex with a child is regarded as a heinous crime, with a serious impact on the young survivor. There is a greater, and deeper, acknowledgement that CSA may lead to substantive and long-lasting trauma for the victim. All in all, there is a widespread discursive rejection of the sexual abuse of children. Yet debates remain on what actually constitutes sexual assault, and what is socially sanc­tioned in one area might be condemned or criminalised in another. Further, we know there is a chasm between the discursive condemnation and the reality. Girls and boys across the world continue to suffer various forms of sexual abuse at home, in the neighbourhood, at school and at work. Some children are more vulnerable than others, and may slip through the cracks or elude any frame­works already in place. In the modern world, two centuries of legislative and social change has not yet solved the problem of sexual violence against minors.