Race as a factor in the sexual abuse of children

Abstract

Past studies of the sexual abuse of children have ignored the ethnicity of victims and perpetrators. The study described in this article compared 56 black and 149 white children who had been sexually abused. The study found significant differences in five of the six clusters of variables studied. These clusters included the victim, the victim's family, the perpetrator, situational factors, and services. The findings suggest that treatment models based on work with white families may not be appropriate for work with black families.