| Abstract: | Violent behaviors by and toward children have become an increasing concern within the American school system, with a good deal of energy devoted to developing profiles about which children are likely to exhibit these behaviors (Goldstein & Huff, 1993). Unfortunately, much less publicity has been devoted toward children who are sexually abused, despite the fact that over 300,000 children and adolescents are sexually abused annually in this country (National Center of Child Abuse and Neglect, 1996). As such, this figure reflects about a 600% increase in actual reported cases since 1980 (Burgdoff, 1980). These data suggest that a large number of school‐aged children are experiencing this kind of personal assault and professional educators are likely to encounter these children in the routine course of the educational process. This article provides a summary of the issues involved in the determination of sexual assault against a child and reviews the empirical literature describing the symptoms which may be manifested by a child who has been sexually abused. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. |
