The environmental psychology of child sexual abuse

Abstract

This paper offers an environmental psychological analysis of child sexual abuse, a pervasive and disruptive societal problem. Earlier analyses of child sexual abuse have emphasized clinical, social, and developmental concepts and methodologies, while neglecting the environmental context of the problem. The proposed conceptualization of child sexual abuse suggests that a broader understanding of the etiology and psychosocial consequences of this problem can be achieved by integrating theoretical constructs drawn from clinical, social, developmental, and environmental psychology. First, some of the key findings and analytical perspectives from earlier studies of child sexual abuse are reviewed and then those findings are linked to a broader analysis of people-environment transactions. This transactional approach emphasizes contextual influences on the etiology and psychosocial outcomes of child sexual abuse, and suggests both clinical and environmental design strategies to reduce the prevalence and disruptive impacts of this problem. © 1994 Academic Press Limited.