​Child Sexual Abuse (CSA): Any sexual behavior with a child too young to give consent, by a person with greater power or authority, or in a caregiving role. Child sexual abuse may include physical contact (sexual assault) but could also include other sexually-oriented behavior, such as taking, sharing, or viewing images, and sexual speech or teasing.   

 

Most people think of adult sexual predators in the public as the main drivers of child sexual abuse. However, the most common place for children to be sexually abused is in a home. Nine out of ten people who cause sexual trauma are already known to the child. One in three incidents that are reported to police are cases of sexually abusive behavior by a family member. At least 30% of all reported sexual harm to children and teens is caused by another child or young person, rather than an adult. (Source: Darkness to Light, Statistics on Child Sexual Abuse)

​

Child Who Harmed (CWH) or Child Who Caused Harm (CWCH): General term for a child or young person whose behavior has caused sexual harm, of any type or extent, to another child--in the case of this website, a sibling. The term "child" may also be used in relation to a parent, even if the person is now an adult.

​

Person-first language such as "child who caused harm," "children and young people who have engaged in harmful sexual behaviour," or "adolescents who have displayed problematic sexual behavior" is currently preferred, rather than labels used in the past such as "adolescent sex offender" or "child sexual abuser". The goal is to correctly name the behavior and its impact, without defining children by labels that increase shame and emphasize behaviors that we are trying to help them move away from in the future.

 

"What we don’t want to do is to create a label for them and an identity for them

of a sexual abuser or of a sex offender. That’s what we don’t want them to be."

Dr. Peter Yates, Truth & Consequences Podcast, Episode 45, Sibling Sexual Abuse: What the Research Reveals

​

Child Who Was Harmed (CWWH): General term for a child or young person who has experienced sexual activity which they did not want or were not able to legally consent, and/or which they experienced as harmful in any way and to any extent. The term "child" may also be used in relation to a parent, even if the person is now an adult.

 

Within the criminal legal system, children who were harmed are referred to as victims. Teens or adults are or have been sexually abused or assaulted may choose to refer to themselves as victims, survivors, thrivers, overcomers, and/or any other term that they feel best describes their current and past lived reality. (Listen to SiblingsToo Episode 14, Are You a Survivor? where host Nancy Morris explains her personal journey in choice of words to describe herself and the way she was affected by her brother's abusive sexual behavior.  17 minutes)​

​

Harmful Sexual Behavior (HSB) or Problematic Sexual Behavior (PSB): Sexual behaviour by individuals under the age of 18 that is developmentally inappropriate and may be harmful towards self or others and/or be abusive towards another child, young person or adult

​

According to guidance from the NSPCC in Britain, Harmful Sexual Behavior is a broad term that includes behavior that is mainly harmful to the person who engages in it (Problematic Sexual Behavior) as well as that which is harmful to others, to any extent. It includes Abusive Sexual Behavior, which includes elements of an imbalance of power, coercion or manipulation, and a lack of consent or ability to consent. ​

​​

Incest: Sexual activity between members of the same family, including genetic relatives, step-relatives, or legal relatives. The meaning of the term “incest” has evolved over time, and there is no universal legal or common definition.

Intrafamilial Child Sexual Abuse (IFCSA) is a newer term. It covers the vast majority of instances of incest, that in which a child is sexually violated by an older or more powerful family member. 

 

Some US states have a legal definition of incest that may or may not include penetration. Sibling sexual abuse is estimated to be at least as common, and at least as harmful, as parent-child sexual abuse. Historically, sibling incest has often been portrayed as consensual. But the voices of brave survivors have proven that it rarely is. Sibling relationships include differences in age, size and/or ability, desire for approval, and status within the family. These lead to an element of coercion, even when it is subtle or implied or not even recognized by the child who was traumatized. (Source: Sibling Sexual Abuse Project, UK) 

​

Sexual Assault: A broad term encompassing any sexual contact or behavior that happens without consent.  

Rape: Sexual assault that includes penetration (vaginal, oral, or anal, using any body part or object) of an individual who does not consent, or is unable to give consent due to age or mental state. Rape may or may not include violence or threat of physical violence. (Source: RAINN)

​

Rape is a type of sexual assault, but sexual assault is not necessarily rape. Non-rape sexual assault may involve touching under or over clothing, kissing, rubbing, etc. Legal statutes vary in their language and definitions; for example, in some areas, "first degree sexual assault" is defined as including penetration, which would be commonly called "rape." More than half of all sexual assaults reported to law enforcement have victims age 17 or less. (Source: Indiana Center for Prevention of Youth Abuse and Suicide)​

​

Pedophile: An adult who is sexually attracted to prepubescent children  

 

The term pedophilia refers to sexual attraction, not sexual activity. Some pedophiles have committed sexual offenses against children but some have not. Many other adults who sexually abuse teens or children are not pedophiles–rather, they choose child victims for reasons of convenience or power. The vast majority of children and teens who engage in harmful sexual behavior with younger children will not be sexually attracted to children when they become adults. (Source: Stop It Now! US)

​

Sex Offender: An individual who has been convicted of a sexual offense and is required to register publicly and/or with law enforcement.  

 

A huge range of offenses require registering as a sex offender. This includes offenses committed against adults or children, and committed online or by personal contact. In the US, a complex web of state and federal laws has led to a confusing registry that has not been shown to be effective overall at preventing child sexual abuse. The vast majority of child sexual abuse is committed by people with no prior convictions and who are known to the child. (For more information, see our Sex Offender Registry page.)

​

Siblings (as used on this website): Two or more people of any gender who share at least one biological and/or legal parent, and/or who were raised as a children in the same home for a significant period of time. 

​

This site does not focus on instances of sexual activity between cousins, fictive kin, or close family friends who did not live together. However, those who are dealing with the effects of harmful sexual behavior by any child or teen are welcome to browse for information that they find relevant or helpful. 

​

Trauma (Psychological): A deep and lasting emotional reaction to a terrible event or experience

​

Psychological trauma that is a result of intrafamilial child sexual abuse is especially complex, persistent, and severe. It is actually quite common, despite being less recognized publically than trauma arising from war, violence, or disaster. (See our page on PTSD)