Children
Protect children. Listen to children.
Child sexual abuse is far more common than most people believe, and it is usually committed by someone the child already knows.
1 in 4
girls in the United States experience child sexual abuse (CDC).
1 in 20
boys experience child sexual abuse (CDC).
90%
of child sexual abuse is perpetrated by someone known and trusted by the child or family.
Child sexual abuse is any sexual activity involving a child. It includes contact acts and non-contact acts such as exposure, filming, or online exploitation. Children cannot consent, and abuse is never the child's fault.
Abuse often happens gradually, through grooming: a trusted adult or older youth builds closeness, secrecy, and dependence before any abuse begins.
What to know
Hotline
Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline
Call or text, 24 hours a day.
800-422-4453Last reviewed: September 2026