Sexual abuse of children is not an uncommon crime. It has received widespread media coverage over the last four years, resulting in a heightened public awareness of the problem. Yet to many, the sexual abuse of children remains a taboo subject. Guidance officers, school counsellors and teachers play particularly important roles as part of a community's response to child sexual abuse. In this paper, some of the literature regarding difficulties in defining child sexual abuse and the subsequent problems in assessing the prevalence and extent of child sexual abuse is examined. Additional problems involved in the recognition and reporting of child sexual abuse are discussed and the reasons why many professionals are reluctant to report suspected cases to statutory authorities are explored. The school psychologist plays a key role in intervention, and some of the options available are proposed. Finally, the importance of appropriate training for the psychologist is highlighted.
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