Child sexual abuse: Complexities and contexts

Child sexual abuse: Complexities and contexts

Childhood sexual abuse (CSA) has long been a scourge on our global society. Internationally, commissions of inquiry and task forces looking into the victimisation of children, historical and present have broadened the scope and understanding of CSA. We have come to realise that the sexual abuse of children can be institutional, virtual, and global, extending its reach far beyond the confines of the familial context. The complexity of childhood sexual abuse demands that we examine the nature of these broad contexts and integrate this understanding into our practice and our research agendas. This chapter seeks to set the scene for this edited volume, to revisit our traditional understanding of CSA, and building on this, introducing readers to the current contexts of CSA. The chapter defines intra- and extrafamilial abuse, institutional abuse, virtual and global abuse, as well as outline the relationship between DFV and CSA. This chapter is an introduction to typologies and definitions, a foundation on which the collection of contributions in this book will expand and further explore the intricacies of CSA.