Defining Child Sexual Abuse: Perspectives from Mothers Who Experienced this Abuse

Key Practitioner Messages The definition of child sexual abuse (CSA) is highly variable in the literature. This is problematic as these differing definitions affect research results, which in turn inform practice. A survey was conducted to ascertain survivors' definitions of CSA using both open- and closed-ended questions. The findings can be used to inform discussions of the CSA definition used by researchers and policymakers, and to inform CSA assessment among practitioners.