Child sexual abuse

Legal accuracy check

Chris Schroeder, Esq.

Florida Bar #520381 · D.C. Bar

First published October 5, 2026 · Last checked October 5, 2026

How pages are checked

What it is

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention defines child sexual abuse as “the involvement of a child (person less than 18 years old) in sexual activity that violates the laws or social taboos of society and that the child does not fully comprehend, does not consent to or is unable to give informed consent to.” The words “unable to give informed consent” carry the point that matters most. A child cannot agree to it. What the child said or did at the time, or felt then, does not move the responsibility onto the child.

Federal child welfare law draws the line in the same place and adds exploitation. The Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act, at 42 U.S.C. 5106g, says sexual abuse includes persuading, enticing or coercing a child into sexually explicit conduct to produce images of it, and “molestation, prostitution, or other form of sexual exploitation of children.” Abuse does not require physical contact: making or sharing sexual images of a child is abuse under that definition, and our page on online exploitation and sextortion covers it. Since 2015 the same section has treated a child identified as a trafficking victim as a victim of sexual abuse; see sex trafficking. Each state also writes its own criminal definitions and sets its own age of consent, so the name of the offense changes from state to state.

The CDC states that “at least one in four girls and one in 20 boys in the United States experience child sexual abuse,” and that about 90% of it “is perpetrated by someone known and trusted by the child or child’s family members” (CDC page last reviewed May 16, 2024). Our page on grooming describes how an abuser can build trust, access and secrecy before abuse begins. Online, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children’s CyberTipline received 21.3 million reports of suspected child sexual exploitation in 2025.

Signs and how it is reported

The Justice Department’s National Sex Offender Public Website lists changes that can follow abuse: nightmares or sleep problems with no clear cause, a sudden change in appetite, sudden mood swings, a “new or unusual fear of certain people or places,” money or gifts with no explanation, and sexual language or knowledge that is new for the child’s age. None of these proves abuse. A child who shows none of them may still need help.

The same site lists adult behaviors that should raise concern, among them “having ‘secret’ interactions with children/teens,” spending “unusual amounts of uninterrupted isolated time alone with a child/teen,” and insisting on hugging, tickling or other physical contact when the child does not want it.

If a child tells you something, the FBI’s advice for adults who hear a young person disclose exploitation fits: listen “with kindness and understanding,” and let the child know they “have not done anything wrong.” Detailed questions can wait for the people trained to ask them.

Where a report goes. A report about a child goes to the state or county child protective services agency, or to the police. To receive federal child abuse prevention grants, a state’s governor must certify that the state has a law for mandatory reporting (42 U.S.C. 5106a(b)(2)(B)(i)). Who must report differs by state, and our guide to reporting abuse explains each route and what follows it. Childhelp’s National Child Abuse Hotline, 800-422-4453, answers calls and texts 24 hours a day. Sexual images of a child online are reported to the CyberTipline at 1-800-843-5678, which is staffed around the clock. In an emergency, call 911.

Adults who were abused as children decide for themselves whether to report to police, and when. A civil claim does not need a police report, and a prosecutor’s decision not to charge does not decide one. Our page on civil and criminal cases explains the difference.

Civil claims that may apply

A civil claim asks a court for money damages and other relief. It is separate from any criminal case, and it can be brought against the person who committed the abuse. It may also be brought against an organization whose own conduct let the abuse happen: a school, church, youth organization, foster care agency or detention facility. Those claims usually rest on state negligence law. The questions are whether the organization took reasonable care in hiring, supervising and keeping the person, and whether it acted on warnings it had. Whether a particular organization can be held responsible depends on the state and the facts.

Our institutions hub covers each setting: juvenile detention, public schools, private and religious schools, churches and religious organizations, camps and youth programs, youth and college sports, daycare and foster care.

Two federal routes sit beside state law. Schools that receive federal funds can face claims under Title IX, 20 U.S.C. 1681; in Gebser v. Lago Vista Independent School District (1998), the Supreme Court held that damages require an official with authority to act who had actual knowledge and responded with “deliberate indifference.” A government body that held a child in custody may face a civil rights claim under 42 U.S.C. 1983.

Masha’s Law. 18 U.S.C. 2255 gives a federal claim to “any person who, while a minor, was a victim” of listed federal crimes, among them aggravated sexual abuse of a child, sexual exploitation of children, offenses involving sexual images of minors, enticement of a minor, and sex trafficking. Its 2006 amendment, section 707 of the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act, is titled Masha’s Law. Since September 16, 2022 there has been “no time limit” for filing, for any claim that was not already barred on that date. The statute does not name who may be sued; whether a claim reaches an organization as well as the offender is a question for the courts.

Large groups of these claims are followed on our lawsuit pages. On April 29, 2025, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved $4 billion to resolve about 6,800 childhood sexual abuse claims; the County said that month that most are alleged to have happened at Probation facilities and MacLaren Children’s Center. The claims were settled, not tried. The record is on our LA County juvenile facilities and LA County foster care pages. The Boy Scouts of America and Catholic dioceses pages follow bankruptcy trusts and new filings.

Time limits. Deadlines for childhood claims have changed in many states. California has no time limit for childhood sexual assault that happened on or after January 1, 2024. Maryland has had none for childhood sexual abuse claims since October 1, 2023. New York’s Child Victims Act revival window closed on August 14, 2021, and childhood claims there can now be brought until age 55. Our statute of limitations reference covers each state, and our guide to filing anonymously explains how survivors sue under initials.

Support resources

Help does not depend on a report or a lawsuit. Childhelp, at 800-422-4453, takes calls and texts for and about children. RAINN’s National Sexual Assault Hotline, 800-656-4673, connects callers to a local sexual assault service provider, and its online chat needs no phone call. Men who were abused as boys can reach 1in6’s online helpline. Anyone thinking about suicide, or worried about someone who is, can call or text 988.

Parents and relatives can start with our guide for families. Trauma and healing describes support that does not depend on any legal step. If you are reading this on a shared device, our guide to browsing safely explains how to keep it private. The other pages in this section cover adult sexual assault, grooming, online exploitation and sex trafficking, and every type is listed on the types of abuse hub.

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