Causes & Risk Factors

What are the risk factors?

There are a variety of factors that increase the risk of child sexual exploitation. However, it’s important to note that although the following factors may increase the risk of abuse, it does not mean the child is going to be abused.

Here are some of the risk factors according to Joshua Center on Child Sexual Abuse Prevention, a center established in 2013 by the University of Washington. :

1. Prior victimization of the child and/or their family members

Risk factors include :

• Prior CSA victimization of child and/or siblings
• Prior victimization of the child other than child abuse
• Prior or concurrent forms of child abuse in the child’s home environment
• A parental history of child abuse victimization

2. Parental problems and difficulties

Risk factors include :

• Intimate partner violence between the child’s parents
• Other parental relationship problems • Parental substance abuse
• Psychiatric/mental/ or physical problems of parents
• A low level of parental education

3. Parenting problems and difficulties

Risk factors include :

• Low quality of parent-child relation including low parental attachment
• Parental overprotection
• Low levels of parental care/affection
• Low parenting competence

4. A non-nuclear family structure

Risk factors include :

• Growing up in a non-nuclear family
example : A child having a step-father

5. Family (system) problems

Risk factors include :

• Problems in functioning of the family system
• Social isolation of the family or the child
• A low family socioeconomic status (SES)
• 6 or more moves/resettlements of the child and family

6.Child problems

Risk factors include :

• Physical and/or mental chronic condition
• Using drugs or engaging in violent delinquent behavior

7.Child characteristics

Risk factors include :

• A low level of social skills
• frequent use of the internet

The most significant risks were found to be prior victimization of the child and/or the child’s family members.

SOURCES : What Places Youth at Risk?, Joshua Center on Child Sexual Abuse Prevention