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Abstract
A large amount of studies and literature reviews on the consequences of child sexual
abuse has appeared over the past twenty years. To prevent that the inconsistency in
their conclusions along with their methodological differences and limitations may
create interpretative difficulties, mistaken beliefs, or confusion among all professionals
who turn to this literature for guidance, this paper addresses the best available
scientific evidence on the topic, by providing a systematic review of the several
reviews that have investigated the literature on the effects of child sexual abuse.
Seven databases were searched, supplemented with hand-search of reference lists from
retrieved papers. The author and a psychiatrist independently evaluated the eligibility
of all studies identified, abstracted data, and assessed study quality. Disagreements
were resolved by consensus. Fourteen reviews, including more than 270,000 subjects
from 587 studies, were analyzed. There is evidence that survivors of childhood sexual
abuse are significantly at risk of a wide range of medical, psychological, behavioral,
and sexual disorders. Relationships are small to medium in magnitudes and moderated
by sample source and size. Child sexual abuse should be considered as a general, nonspecific
risk factor for psychopathology. The implications for research, treatment, and health
policy are discussed.