About 80% of lawsuits against sexual predators end up in civil, not criminal, court, meaning offenders won’t go to jail — even if they admit the molestation or are found to be guilty. Why? Because the criminal STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS has expired.
Each state makes its own determination of the number of years that a plaintiff has to file a charge against a perpetrator. Most states have no statute of limitations for capital offenses such as murder. Only a few states have no statute of limitations for criminal sexual assault, despite the damage to lives and resultant suicides. The rest of the states have a set number of years (which varies quite a bit) for a sexual abuse victim to come forward and press charges.
If your claim falls outside your state’s criminal statute of limitations, you have no recourse except to file a civil suit against the perpetrator (civil suits also may be subject to statutes of limitations).
- Adolescents with a history of childhood sexual assault (CSA) demonstrate a three- to four-fold increase in rates of substance abuse.
- Adults with a history of CSA are more than twice as likely to attempt suicide.
- Adults with a history of CSA are 30% more likely to have a serious medical condition such as diabetes, cancer, heart problems, or stroke.
- The cost of CSA — including healthcare, criminal justice, child welfare, special education, and productivity losses — are largely paid for by the public.
Cost of Childhood Sexual Abuse
What are the costs to society of childhood sexual assault (CSA)?
Because of the concealed nature of sexual abuse, it’s impossible to know how many persons have experienced it. The website of the U.S. Department of Justice cites research conducted by the CDC (Centers for Disease Control), which shows that approximately one in four girls and one in six boys have been victims of childhood sexual assault (CSA) before the age of 18. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services agrees with that assessment, adding that the lower rate for males may be inaccurate due to underreporting. Many abused children, especially boys, will never tell anyone. And if they do, it will likely not be until years—even decades—later.
Facts below are taken from the Darkness To Light (D2L) Fact Sheet:
FACT: Children who are sexually abused are at significantly greater risk for PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder), depression, and suicide attempts. 7,23,24,35,36,37,38,39,40, 41,42,49, 50
Adults with a history of CSA are more than twice as likely to attempt suicide. 76,77
Females who are sexually abused are three times more likely to develop psychiatric disorders than females who are not sexually abused.81
Among male survivors, more than 70% seek psychological treatment for issues such as substance abuse, suicidal thoughts, and attempted suicide. 81
FACT: CSA is associated with physical health problems in adulthood.
Adults with a history of CSA are 30% more likely than their non-abused peers to have a serious medical condition such as diabetes, cancer, heart problems, stroke, or hypertension. 84
They also suffer a host of non-life-threatening conditions, with the resultant burden to both them and the healthcare system. 49,87,88,89
FACT: Substance abuse problems are among the most common "side effects" of child sexual abuse.
A number of studies have found that adolescents with a history of CSA demonstrate a three- to four-fold increase in rates of substance abuse/dependence. 22,23,47,48,64
FACT: Delinquency and crime (often stemming from substance abuse) are more prevalent in adolescents with a history of childhood sexual abuse.
Adolescents who were sexually abused have a 3- to 5-fold risk of delinquency. 23,37,66,67,68,69
Emotional and behavioral difficulties such as aggression and oppositionality can lead to delinquency, poor school performance, and dropping out of school. 35,61,62,63
Adolescents who report victimization (i.e., sexual or physical abuse) are more likely to be arrested than their non-abused peers. 66,67
Sexually abused children are nearly twice as likely to run away from home. 66
FACT: Adult survivors of child sexual abuse are more likely to become involved in crime, both as a perpetrator and as a victim.
As adults, CSA victims were almost twice as likely to be arrested for a violent offense as the general population (20.4% versus 10.7%). 66
Males who have been sexually abused are more likely to violently victimize others. 81
FACT: Academic problems are a common symptom of sexual abuse.
Sexually abused children tended to perform lower on tests measuring cognitive ability, academic achievement, and memory assessments when compared to same-age non-sexually abused peers. 60
Studies indicate that sexual abuse exposure among children and adolescents is associated with school high-absentee rates, more grade retention, increased need for special education services, and difficulty with school adaptation. 61
A history of CSA significantly increases the chance of dropping out of school. 35,61,62,63
FACT: The risk of teen pregnancy is much higher for girls who have a history of childhood sexual abuse.
45% of pregnant teenage girls report a history of CSA. 40
In addition, males who are sexually abused are more likely than their non-abused peers to impregnate a teen. 59,72,83
FACT: Childhood sexual abuse has an enormous financial cost to society.
The lifetime burden of child maltreatment is estimated to be $210,012 per victim [2012]. This includes immediate costs, as well as loss of productivity and increased healthcare costs in adulthood. 93 (While this estimate is for all forms of child maltreatment, including neglect and psychological abuse, there is evidence that the consequences of child sexual abuse are equivalent or greater than the consequences of other forms of child maltreatment.) 4
The expenses are largely paid for by the public sector—the taxpayer. The costs include: healthcare, criminal justice, child welfare, special education, and productivity losses. For just ONE YEAR of confirmed cases, that amounts to approximately $124 billion. 92,93
REFERENCES
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https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S014521341830084X
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