Defining Child Sexual Abuse: Perspectives from Mothers Who Experienced this Abuse

Abstract

Key Practitioner Messages: The definition of child sexual abuse (CSA) is highly variable in the literature. This is problematic as these differing definitions affect research results, which in turn inform practice. A survey was conducted to ascertain survivors' definitions of CSA using both open- and closed-ended questions. The findings can be used to inform discussions of the CSA definition used by researchers and policymakers, and to inform CSA assessment among practitioners.