In examining the public's awareness of and responses to child sexual abuse, the authors argue that the public's exposure to the media's coverage of sexual abuse is counterproductive. The media's emphasis on horrific details of notorious cases goes beyond informing the public; it panders to prurient interest. Likewise, spurring fear and outrage about highly publicized cases and offenders satisfies a public appetite for excitement while justifying ever more punitive criminal justice responses. Society's response to sexual abuse has thus focused on increased public spending to label and incarcerate known offenders. There is minimal funding for community-based treatment for sexual offenders, little or no support for effective public education about sexual abuse and effective prevention efforts, and continuing resistance to universal instruction of children and adolescents on human sexuality and the interpersonal skills necessary for safe and satisfying intimate relationships. The authors propose that sexual abuse be viewed and approached as a public health problem, rather than as a criminal justice problem. Public health approaches include an emphasis on education and prevention, vigorous casefinding, comprehensive treatment of identified cases, and the quarantining (incarceration) of affected individuals (abusers) who have not yet been treated or, in some cases, fail to respond to treatment and present a serious risk to the community. The authors present detailed suggestions for primary prevention, with emphasis on effective public education about sexual abuse and enlightened citizen action. Appended tables of offender demographics, offense data, child molestation victim data, and rape victim data, as well as an outline of what constitutes an ethical compared to an unethical therapeutic relationship