Child Sexual Abuse: A Public Health Issue

Abstract

Child sexual abuse is an American crisis that has reached epidemic proportions. The criminal justice system typically responds with punitive sanctions against the offenders, neglecting the suffering and trauma experienced by the victims. This comes short of addressing the dynamics associated with child sexual abuse. Because of this, epidemiologists have declared this crime a public health issue and have offered the public health approach for the prevention and treatment of everyone involved in child sexual abuse.

Keywords:

• Child Sexual Abuse
• Public Healthcare
• Violence
• Epidemiology
• Prevention
• Treatment

Notes

James F. Anderson is Associate Professor of Criminal Justice and Criminology at the University of Missouri at Kansas City. Nancie J. Mangels is a doctoral fellow at the University of Missouri at Kansas City. Adam Langsam is an Assistant Professor of Sociology at Northeastern State University. Correspondence to: James F. Anderson, UMKC, Department of Sociology, Criminal Justice and Criminology, 5100 Rockhill Rd, Kansas City, MO 64110–2499. Email: Anderson [email protected]

Additional information

Notes on contributors

James F. Anderson

James F. Anderson is Associate Professor of Criminal Justice and Criminology at the University of Missouri at Kansas City. Nancie J. Mangels is a doctoral fellow at the University of Missouri at Kansas City. Adam Langsam is an Assistant Professor of Sociology at Northeastern State University. Correspondence to: James F. Anderson, UMKC, Department of Sociology, Criminal Justice and Criminology, 5100 Rockhill Rd, Kansas City, MO 64110–2499. Email: Anderson [email protected]