Many factors contribute to the sexual abuse of children. Some of these are universal and others are embedded in the historic and socio-cultural context of a country. One significant contributing factor in child sexual abuse is poverty. Several poverty-related factors contribute to the sexual abuse and exploitation of children, including abandonment, migration from rural areas into towns, and migration of male workers to industrial areas. Abandoned children are required to earn money for food and shelter, and they are therefore easy targets for sexual predators. Another factor in the prevalence of child sexual abuse is the general lack of knowledge about the incidence and detrimental impact of such abuse. Although reliable official statistics on the type, prevalence, and incidence of child sexual abuse could help to counter its trivialization, many Western and Eastern European countries do not have reliable official statistics on child sexual abuse. Sri Lanka has responded to its significant problem of child sexual abuse by creating the National Child Protection Authority (NCPA), which is a multidisciplinary body that reports directly to the president regarding issues and policy pertinent to child protection services throughout the country. This firm commitment to child protection and the establishment of the NCPA is an example for many European countries. 20 references