title: Preventing sexual abuse of children in the twenty-first century: preparing for challenges and opportunities.
abstract: Child sexual abuse is a widespread social problem that negatively affects victims, families, communities, and society. This article briefly describes the scope and consequences of child sexual abuse and briefly critiques child-focused personal safety educational programs designed to prevent sexual victimization. The final section offers suggestions for expanding the focus of child-directed efforts and also includes recommendations for alternative approaches to primary prevention.
authors.affiliation: University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, Colorado Springs, CO 80933-7150, USA. swurtele@uccs.edu
authors.forename: Sandy K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Wurtele
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002650:Child Abuse, Sexual / Q000517:prevention & control*; D002651:Child Advocacy / Q000639:trends*; D019548:Crime Victims; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000639:trends*; D006801:Humans; D011314:Preventive Health Services / Q000639:trends; D011322:Primary Prevention / Q000639:trends*; D012944:Social Support; D014481:United States