Thus, criticizing and finding remedies for one part of the system while ignoring the others is a waste of time and effort. Efforts to intervene effectively are hampered by disagreement over the definition of child sexual abuse and of the 'reasonable cause' criterion stated in laws, problems involved in observing and documenting private events, and the stigma associated with child abuse. In addition, no consensus exists regarding treatment goals or treatment approaches. Furthermore, many of those who interact with the child lack information on the correct, age-appropriate ways to talk to a potential child victim and are not aware of the importance of accepting the child's report as valid. The psychological effects of child sexual abuse point to the need for mental health services, but providing these services is hampered by parental refusal to cooperate and the traditional view of family therapists that all family members are equally responsible for the situation under treatment. Other important issues are whether the child should be removed from the home and whether the criminal justice or social service approach is more appropriate for dealing with these cases. Methods are needed to prevent the criminal justice process from producing more emotional abuse of the child victims. Finally, resources for staff and services have not kept up with the protective service caseload. Limits or resources or lack of knowledge must not become another source of victimization of children. A unified effort is needed to help these victims. 8 references.