Source: publichealth.jhu.edu 8/19/26
Preventing CSA requires challenging our misconceptions, understanding where current approaches fall short, and investing in strategies that can work to keep kids safe.
An estimated 20% of all children in the U.S. will experience child sexual abuse (CSA) or attempted CSA, either online or offline, before they turn 18.
It’s a reality we have the tools to change, says Elizabeth Letourneau, PhD, a professor in Mental Health and the director of MOORE | Preventing Child Sexual Abuse. Letourneau is also the co-author of One in Five, which presents CSA as the biggest public health crisis of our time—as well as entirely preventable.
“There’s this misperception that child sexual abuse is uniquely unpreventable compared to other types of harm that can befall children, like child physical abuse, child neglect, or bullying,” Letourneau says.
In fact, evidence shows that it is possible to prevent CSA.
The Truth About CSA
What many people think about child sexual abuse has been framed in some part by news stories, TV shows, and movies centered around exposing and punishing adults who harm children. These incidents are rightfully criminalized, and adults who offend must be held accountable, Letourneau says. But the incidents that make headlines—the prosecutions of adult strangers with dozens of victims—represent a fraction of CSA offenses.
Decades of research have revealed important information about the people who sexually offend against children and the factors that put someone at greater risk of offense or victimization. Much of this evidence runs contrary to popular beliefs.
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What does it take to end a lot of things? A change in mindset(s). Once people are open to that, then anything is possible…but this country has been trying to beat drugs for how long with what success rate?
Let’s start with the mindset that PFRs are less statistically going to reoffend than someone in an adult in a position of trust is going to initially offend. Once those in those power positions understand that and know they are the ones who are going to offend, then maybe CSA can be addressed together with the position of trust abuses and while the registry can be logically rethought.
Educational programs for minors is a nice idea, but unless minors know the hard facts of what the law says for the action and its consequences, minors will think they can beat the law and will try to regardless of what effort is put into place. Actions have consequences and they need to know it along with examples of their peers to show the gravity of them.