Child-on-child sexual abuse is a form of

child sexual abuse Child sexual abuse (CSA), also called child molestation, is a form of child abuse in which an adult or older adolescent uses a child for sexual stimulation. Forms of child sexual abuse include engaging in Human sexual activity, sexual activit ...

in which a prepubescent child is

sexually abused Sexual abuse or sex abuse is abusive sexual behavior by one person upon another. It is often perpetrated using physical force, or by taking advantage of another. It often consists of a persistent pattern of sexual assaults. The offender is r ...

by one or more other children or

adolescent Adolescence () is a transitional stage of human physical and psychological development that generally occurs during the period from puberty to adulthood (typically corresponding to the age of majority). Adolescence is usually associated w ...

s, and in which no adult is directly involved. While this includes one of the children using physical force, threats, trickery or emotional manipulation to elicit cooperation, it also can include non-coercive situations where the initiator proposes or starts a sexual act that the victim does not understand the nature of and simply goes along with, not comprehending its implications or what the consequences might be. Child-on-child sexual abuse is differentiated from

normative Normativity is the phenomenon in human societies of designating some actions or outcomes as good, desirable, or permissible, and others as bad, undesirable, or impermissible. A Norm (philosophy), norm in this sense means a standard for evaluatin ...

sexual play or anatomical curiosity and exploration (e.g. " playing doctor") because child-on-child sexual abuse is an overt and deliberate action directed at

sexual stimulation Sexual stimulation is anything that leads to sexual arousal or orgasm. This thing can be physical or of other senses, and is known as a stimulus. Sexual stimulation is a broad term, usually understood to mean physical touching of the genita ...

, including

orgasm Orgasm (from Greek , ; "excitement, swelling"), sexual climax, or simply climax, is the sudden release of accumulated sexual excitement during the sexual response cycle, characterized by intense sexual pleasure resulting in rhythmic, involu ...

. When sexual abuse is perpetrated by one sibling upon another, it is known as " inter-sibling abuse". When victims of inter-sibling child-on-child sexual abuse grow up, they often have a distorted recollection of the act, such as thinking it was consensual or that they were the initiator.

Causes

In the case of child-on-child sexual abuse, young children who have not matured sexually are incapable of knowing about specific sex acts without an external source. Consequently, children who initiate or solicit overtly sexual acts with other children either have been sexually victimized beforehand (by an adult or another child) Drew Pinsky, MD and Ted Stryker (November 5, 2007
"Loveline"
(audio interview, 0:38:45-0:40:31). lovelineshow.com. Retrieved November 15, 2007. or they have been exposed to sexually explicit material. Research shows that about one-third to one-half of children with problematic sexual behaviors have no history of sexual abuse themselves. In many instances, the perpetrating child has been exposed to pornography or repeatedly witnessed sexual activity of adults at a very young age, and this can also be considered a form of

. In many cases, a child or adolescent may have no intent to cause any harm to another child, and they act merely on a passing impulse. However, this act may still result in harm to the other child and is a form of child-on-child sexual abuse. Furthermore, children who had experienced an unwanted sexual approach may not understand that this act was crime against themselves.

Prevalence

Research estimates that over half of child sexual abuse offenses in the United States are committed by perpetrators under the age of 18. However, child-on-child sexual abuse frequently goes unreported because it is not widely known about by the public, and often occurs outside of adults' supervision. Even if known by adults, it is sometimes dismissed as harmless by those who do not understand the implications. In particular, inter-sibling abuse is under-reported relative to the reporting rates for parent–child sexual abuse, and disclosure of the

incest Incest ( ) is sexual intercourse, sex between kinship, close relatives, for example a brother, sister, or parent. This typically includes sexual activity between people in consanguinity (blood relations), and sometimes those related by lineag ...

by the victim during childhood is rare.

Effects

Children who were sexually victimized by other minors, including inter-sibling abuse, show largely the same problems as children victimized by adults, including

anxiety disorder Anxiety disorders are a group of mental disorders characterized by significant and uncontrollable feelings of anxiety and fear such that a person's social, occupational, and personal functions are significantly impaired. Anxiety may cause phys ...

s, depression,

substance abuse Substance misuse, also known as drug misuse or, in older vernacular, substance abuse, is the use of a drug in amounts or by methods that are harmful to the individual or others. It is a form of substance-related disorder, differing definition ...

suicide Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Risk factors for suicide include mental disorders, physical disorders, and substance abuse. Some suicides are impulsive acts driven by stress (such as from financial or ac ...

eating disorder An eating disorder is a mental disorder defined by abnormal eating behaviors that adversely affect a person's health, physical or mental health, mental health. These behaviors may include eating too much food or too little food. Types of eatin ...

post-traumatic stress disorder Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental disorder that develops from experiencing a Psychological trauma, traumatic event, such as sexual assault, domestic violence, child abuse, warfare and its associated traumas, natural disaster ...

sleep disorder A sleep disorder, or somnipathy, is a medical disorder affecting an individual's sleep patterns, sometimes impacting physical, mental, social, and emotional functioning. Polysomnography and actigraphy are tests commonly ordered for diagnosing sle ...

s and difficulty trusting peers in the context of relationships. The victim often thinks that the act was normal, including thinking they were the initiator or that they went through the act voluntarily. Major factors that affect the severity of symptoms include the use of force or coercion, the frequency of the abuse, and the invasiveness of the act. An increased risk of

victimization Victimisation ( or victimization) is the state or process of being victimised or becoming a victim. The field that studies the process, rates, incidence, effects, and prevalence of victimisation is called victimology. Peer victimisation Peer ...

later in life has also been reported. The term ''minor sex offenders'' may be used for children under 18 years of age who have initiated any non-consensual sexual activity with another person. This population may be viewed as a younger version of sexual perpetrators and may be assessed as part of a same group, when they represent a significant heterogenous group. For example, these children tend to exhibit different motivations for their actions than adult sexual offenders and they tend to respond more favorably to treatment.

References

{{Psychological manipulation Child sexual abuse Child sexuality Sex crimes

Causes

Prevalence

Effects

See also

References