Reports of child sexual abuse of boys and girls: Longitudinal trends over a 20-year period in Victoria, Australia
Abstract
Although prevalence studies show girls are more frequently sexually abused than boys, a significant proportion of boys also experience child sexual abuse (CSA). The challenges for public policy are amplified for boys due to less developed public and professional sensitisation to boys' experiences, conceptions of masculinity, and less research on boys including into reporting trends and outcomes. We conducted a 20-year longitudinal time-trend analysis of government data to identify reporting trends and report outcomes for CSA in Victoria, Australia from 1993 to 2012. We stratified by child gender and reporter status. Results indicate a new sensitisation to CSA, especially for boys, although this trend was not stable. Marked change occurred in the last five years, likely influenced by major social and political events. Comparison over time revealed that from 1993 to 2012, the rate of reporting of boys increased 2.6-fold whereas there was a 1.5-fold increase for girls. Comparing genders, with regards to rate of reporting, in 1993, the sex ratio of girls to boys was 2:1, while by 2012 this ratio changed to 1.14:1. Reports by police and other mandated reporters accounted for the majority of the increase in reports over the 20-year period, suggesting unequal sensitisation. Positive report outcomes (i.e. substantiations, findings of harm, and referral to services) increased twelve-fold for boys, and nearly five-fold for girls, indicating the increased levels of reports were based in actual clinical need. Most of this increase occurred from 2009 to 2012, influenced by a compound of social, political and agency-related factors.
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These duties had substantial impacts on reporting and case-finding, which is likely to have increased detection of offenders and diminished the likelihood of their future offending through incarceration and desistance.
“These duties had substantial impacts on reporting and case-finding (Mathews, Bromfield, Walsh, Cheng, & Norman, 2017; Mathews, Lee, & Norman, 2016), which is likely to have increased detection of offenders and diminished the likelihood of their future offending through incarceration and desistance.”
From Child sexual abuse by different classes and types of perpetrator: Prevalence and trends from an Australian national survey (2024) · cites this paper as Mathews, Bromfield, Walsh, Cheng, & Norman, 2017
Cites
A Global Perspective on Child Sexual Abuse: Meta-Analysis of Prevalence Around the World
Stoltenborgh, M., van IJzendoorn, M. H., Euser, E. M., & Bakermans-Kranenburg, M. J. (2011) · Child Maltreatment · doi:10.1177/1077559511403920 · Cited by 2,010 · see citing works
Finkelhor, D., Hotaling, G., Lewis, I. A., & Smith, C. (1990) · Child Abuse & Neglect · doi:10.1016/0145-2134(90)90077-7 · Cited by 1,754 · see citing works
A Meta-Analysis of the Published Research on the Effects of Child Sexual Abuse
Paolucci, E. O., Genuis, M. L., & Violato, C. (2001) · The Journal of Psychology · doi:10.1080/00223980109603677 · Cited by 1,144 · see citing works
The prevalence of child sexual abuse in community and student samples: a meta-analysis
Pereda, N., Guilera, G., Forns, M., & Gómez-Benito, J. (2009) · Clinical Psychology Review · doi:10.1016/j.cpr.2009.02.007 · Cited by 1,068 · see citing works
Cultural Issues in Disclosures of Child Sexual Abuse
Fontes, L. A., & Plummer, C. (2010) · Journal of Child Sexual Abuse · doi:10.1080/10538712.2010.512520 · Cited by 409 · cited 4× · see citing works
“Male self-disclosure is inhibited by feelings of extreme anger, withdrawal, and suppression, often accompanied by later drug use (Dhaliwal, Gauzas, Antonowicz, & Ross, 1996; Spataro, Moss, & Wells, 2001), and fear of being perceived as a potential perpetrator (Fontes & Plummer, 2010).”
BackgroundInfluentialShame and Guilt in Men Exposed to Childhood Sexual Abuse: A Qualitative Investigation
Dorahy, M. J., & Clearwater, K. (2012) · Journal of Child Sexual Abuse · doi:10.1080/10538712.2012.659803 · Cited by 181 · see citing works
Disclosure of Child Sexual Abuse Among Adult Male Survivors
Easton, S. D. (2013) · Clinical Social Work Journal · doi:10.1007/s10615-012-0420-3 · Cited by 172 · see citing works
The Disclosure Experiences of Male Child Sexual Abuse Survivors
Gagnier, C., & Collin-Vézina, D. (2016) · Journal of Child Sexual Abuse · doi:10.1080/10538712.2016.1124308 · Cited by 144 · cited 3× · see citing works
“For example, professionals working with men do not routinely ask about past history of CSA (Lab, Feigenbaum, & De Silva, 2000) leading to “silencing” (Easton, 2013, p. 350) for male victims that has, “rendered them almost invisible” (Gagnier & Collin-Vezina, 2016, p. 222).”
BackgroundMathews, B., Lee, X. J., & Norman, R. E. (2016) · Child Abuse & Neglect · doi:10.1016/j.chiabu.2016.04.009 · Cited by 85 · see citing works
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Mathews, B., Finkelhor, D., Pacella, R., Scott, J. G., Higgins, D. J., Meinck, F., Erskine, H. E., Thomas, H. J., Lawrence, D., Malacova, E., et al. (2024) · Child Abuse & Neglect · doi:10.1016/j.chiabu.2023.106562 · Cited by 85 · see citing works
Self-citation
- Authors
- Mathews, B., Bromfield, L., Walsh, K., Cheng, Q., & Norman, R. E.
- Affiliations
- Queensland University of Technology (AU)
- University of South Australia (AU)
- Corresponding author
- Mathews, Ben
- Venue
- Child Abuse & Neglect
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2017-04
- Volume
- 66
- Pages
- 9-22
- ISSN
- 0145-2134 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2588065722
- Cited by
- 43
- References
- 9
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 8 · 2024: 4 · 2023: 7 · 2022: 5 · 2021: 5 · 2020: 5 · 2019: 3 · 2018: 3 · 2017: 2
- FWCI
- 4.41
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Child Abuse & Neglect (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Adelaide Research & Scholarship (AR&S) (University of Adelaide) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- Department of Social Services, Australian Government
- Department of Human Services, State Government of Victoria
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Child Abuse and Trauma
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Military, Security, and Education Studies
- Social Sciences › Gender Studies › Sexual Assault and Victimization Studies
- Keywords
- child sexual abuse, boys, reporting trends, mandatory reporting, police reports, masculinity, Victoria, Australia
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Child, Child Abuse, Sexual, Female, Humans, Longitudinal Studies, Male, Victoria, Sex Distribution
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