Reaction of the children

Data from meta-analysis by Rind et.al. 1998

The image of CSA as portrayed in the media is that of a frail, helpless child in a state of shock after having been ravaged by an adult. We next present data relevant to assessing the validity of this image. Table 9 presents results from 10 female samples and 11 male samples on how subjects reacted, at the time, to their CSA experience. Of the 1,421 female experiences of CSA, 11% were positive, 18% were neutral, and 72% were negative. Of the 606 male experiences, 37% were positive, 29% were neutral, and 33% were negative. The results for males strongly contradict the popular image just described. The majority of boys (two-thirds) did not react negatively. For girls, the pattern was just the reverse, showing a striking sex difference. This once again provides evidence against the assumption of gender equivalence - that boys and girls react the same. In terms of negative reactions, it is important to note that such reactions can range from mild discomfort to traumatic shock. The percentages of boys and girls who react in accord with the popular image of traumatic shock would be only a fraction of the figures just presented for negative reactions.
Retrospectively Recalled Immediate Reactions of College Students to their CSA Experiences

	Females (%)				Males (%)
Study	pos	neut	neg	N	pos	neut	neg	N
Brubaker, 1991	22	18	60	50	-	-	-	-
Brubaker, 1994	10	17	73	99	-	-	-	-
Condy et al., 1987	-	-	-	-	58	14a	28	50
Finkelhor, 1979	7	27	66	119b	n/a	n/a	38	23
Fischer, 1991	5	n/a	n/a	39	28	n/a	n/a	18
Fishman, 1991	-	-	-	-	27	43	30	30b
Fromuth, 1984	28	12	60	130b	-	-	-	-
Fromuth & Burkhart, 1989	-	-	-	-	60	28	12	81
Goldman & Goldman, 1988	17	16	68	188b	39	32	30	40b
Landis, 1956	2	16	82	493b	8	39	54	183b
Long & Jackson, 1993	4	28a	69	137	-	-	-	-
O'Neill, 1991	10	6	84	83b	43	9	48	46b
Schultz & Jones, 1983	28	19	52	122b	69	24	7	67b
Urquiza, 1989	-	-	-	-	39	27	33	51
West & Woodhouse, 1993	-	-	-	-	45	29	26	58
Totals	11	18	72	1421	37	29	33	606

Note. n/a indicates information not available. Totals include only samples for which all 3 reaction-types are given. Total percents are weighted by sample size; total Ns reflect a combination of number of experiences and number of subjects. Percents do not sum exactly to 100 because of rounding.
a Includes mixed reactions.
b Indicates number of experiences. Otherwise, N indicates number of subjects.

In a study in South Africa, Madu & Peltzer 2001 found that '"friend" was the highest indicated perpetrator in all patterns of sexual abuse. Many victims (86.7%) perceived themselves as not sexually abused as a child, and many (50.2%) rated their childhood as "very happy."'