Parents provided demographic information and completed a questionnaire regarding their children's behavior, while children completed a measure of their perceived self- competence and social acceptance. Behavioral status was measured by the Child Behavior Checklist. Children suspected of having been sexually abused were rated by their parents as having more internalizing and externalizing problems than comparison children. Ratings of children revealed no group differences based on abuse status, although significant within-group variation occurred among children suspected of having been sexually abused. Preschool children had elevated scores of perceived competence and social acceptance; school-age children had depressed scores. No age differences were observed among children in the comparison group. Study findings suggest that self-perception varies according to developmental level among children who may have been sexually abused and that preschool children may respond with elevated perceptions of themselves. Focusing on individual differences in children's responses to suspicions of sexual abuse makes it possible to identify risk and protective factors that contribute to psychological outcomes of child sexual abuse. 46 references and 3 tables