Rates of Population-Level Child Sexual Abuse After a Community-Wide Preventive Intervention.

Importance: Child sexual abuse (CSA) impacts 15% of girls and 8% of boys worldwide, incurring high public costs and devastating consequences for survivors. US incidence rates have stagnated over the past 15 to 20 years, signaling a dire need for innovation in primary prevention. In 2024, the US Preventive Services Task Force reported that there is insufficient evidence for the effectiveness of child abuse preventive strategies, and none have shown decreases in incidence rates at the population level.