The past decade has seen a dramatic increase in the attention paid to child sexual abuse. Professionals from the fields of social work, mental health, medicine, education, and law are involved in researching the prevalence, causes, and consequences of abuse. Child sexual abuse is multidimensional, determined by forces at work in both victims and offenders, in the family, and in the community and society at large. The authors focus on understanding child sexual abuse and implications for prevention. They specifically examine child-focused prevention programs, parents as partners in prevention, and the roles and responsibilities of professionals. The roles of policymakers, researchers, and the general public in preventing child sexual abuse are also discussed. The authors conclude that multiple prevention strategies are needed that focus on classroom-based instruction in personal safety, education promoting healthy sexuality, parent- focused materials and workshops, education for professionals who work with children, community efforts to support children and their families, and public awareness efforts emphasizing that child sexual abuse prevention is everyone's responsibility. References and tables