When children are sexually abused, they think the abuse is their fault. In their own words, children say what sexual abuse means to them. It’s time to pay attention to what they say. Otherwise, child sexual abuse will go on and on.

Child survivors think abuse is their fault; Perpetrators know otherwise. In this article, child survivors and perpetrators say in their own words what child sexual abuse means to them. Perpetrators talk about love, comfort, thrills, bliss, vengeance, fixing how they feel, and romance. Children talk about fear, dread, shame, guilt, and confusion.