Joint Position Statement: Care of Prepubescent Pediatric Sexual Abuse Patients in the Emergency Care Setting.

Sexual abuse of prepubescent children is quite distinct from that of adult patients. The initial report may be of a single encounter of sexual assault, but abused children commonly experience this mistreatment over multiple weeks, months, or years because of offenders’ ready access to them. Dependence on caregivers and the child’s developmental age and cognitive ability create an opportunity for offenders to manipulate and silence children, especially if the offenders are family members or other trusted adults. Sexual abuse is often hidden by offenders, unwitnessed by others, and many times leaves no obvious physical signs of its occurrence. Children that experience sexual abuse often suffer from a wide range of health problems throughout their lifespan, with acute concerns that include sexually transmitted diseases, physical injuries, and psychological trauma. Child sexual abuse patients are at greater risk for a number of adverse psychological and somatic problems that may extend into adulthood.