Child sexual abuse is 'any act which exposes a child to, or involves a child in, sexual processes beyond his or her understanding or contrary to accepted community standards. The child is unable to provide informed consent to and is not developmentally prepared for sexual activity.'
For information on child abuse and neglect visit the Department for Child Protection website (external site). The importance of the definition lies in the acknowledgment of the limitations of children to give truly informed consent and their risk of exploitation.
Child sexual abuse is not acceptable in any group of people. It is not 'just a family matter', but many children are afraid to report an incident to the police because the abuser is often a family friend or relative. Other people who may have concerns about sexual abuse may hesitate to report it because they are not totally certain abuse is occurring. Tragic outcomes of child abuse may occur when reporting is delayed.
Most cases of child sexual abuse do not result in an STI. However, if an STI (such as gonorrhoea, chlamydia, trichomoniasis, genital herpes or genital warts) is diagnosed from the genitalia, throat or other suspicious site of a child or an adolescent under the age of 18 years, then sexual abuse should be considered and a mandatory report of child sexual abuse should be submitted if a view is formed that sexual abuse may have occurred. In addition to the mandatory report, a report on an STI in a child under 14 years of age must also be made by the diagnosing clinician.
- OD 0296/10 Interagency Management of Children Under 14 Who are Diagnosed With a Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI) (external site)
STIs occurring in babies, especially those under 12 months of age could be the result of vertical transmission, so the mother should be tested (and, if she tests positive, her sexual contacts should also be tested). Genital warts in children can also occur as a result of autoinoculation.