Subjects were 66 child sexual assault victims referred for evaluation and/or treatment from a variety of sources, including child protection agencies and law enforcement. A sample of 32 child sexual assault victims whose perpetrators had not acknowledged the offense was obtained through review of clinical case files at the National Crime Victims Research and Treatment Center. All cases were determined to be valid abuse reports as indicated by the local division of the department of health and human services. The Child Behavior Checklist was administered as part of the initial clinical intake interview. Data on the sample of 34 children with acknowledging perpetrators was originally obtained as part of a larger investigation of family system characteristics associated with father-child sexual abuse. Significant differences were found between groups, with children in the non-acknowledging perpetrator group evincing higher scores. Children in the non-acknowledging perpetrator group were rated higher on symptoms of post-traumatic stress syndrome than were those in the acknowledging group. Findings suggest the need for further investigation to explore the process by which perpetrator acknowledgment may moderate negative outcomes for victims. 2 tables and 15 references