ABUSE IMPLIES AN ACT THAT BRINGS ABOUT DEMONSTRABLE OR POTENTIAL HARM TO CHILDREN. CHILDREN WHO ARE SEXUALLY VICTIMIZED IN ANY WAY BY ADULTS ARE ABUSED, BUT CONSIDERATION MUST BE GIVEN TO THE ACTUAL HARM DONE. GREATER HARM MAY RESULT FROM INAPPROPRIATE RESPONSES ON THE PART OF ADULTS THAT MAKE CHILDREN FEEL AFRAID, GUILTY, OR DIRTY. THE SEXUAL ABUSE OF CHILDREN INVOLVES ACTIONS RANGING FROM VERBAL STIMULI, SUCH AS AN OBSCENE TELEPHONE CALL, TO RAPE. ABUSE CAN BE COMMITTED BY OFFENDERS OF VARIOUS AGES AND OF BOTH SEXES. BOTH BOYS AND GIRLS CAN BE SEXUALLY ABUSED, AND THE TYPE OF ABUSE MAKES A CONSIDERABLE DIFFERENCE IN THE IMPACT IT HAS. ABUSE IS CLASSIFIED ACCORDING TO THREE MAJOR GROUPS: NONTOUCHING, TOUCHING, AND VIOLENT. NONTOUCHING OFFENSES INCLUDE VERBAL ABUSE, OBSCENE TELEPHONE CALLS, EXHIBITIONISM, VOYEURISM, AND THE PRIMAL SCENE. TOUCHING ACTIVITIES INVOLVE FONDLING, GENITAL STIMULATION, ORAL STIMULATION, PORNOGRAPHY, AND INTERCOURSE. VIOLENT ACTS INCLUDE RAPE AND PHYSICAL INJURY, BOTH OF WHICH CAN RESULT IN MURDER. A STUDY OF SEXUAL OFFENDERS INDICATE THAT THE MEDIAN AGE IS 31.32 YEARS, 21 PERCENT ARE UNDER 20 YEARS OF AGE, ONLY 10 PERCENT ARE OVER THE AGE OF 50 YEARS, THE RACIAL DISTRIBUTION IS ALMOST IDENTICAL TO THAT OF THE VICTIM, ONLY 15 PERCENT HAVE A PRIOR RECORD OF CRIMINAL CONVICTION, AND 65 PERCENT WERE KNOWN TO CHILDREN PRIOR TO OFFENSES. DIFFERENT TYPES OF INCEST AND THEIR IMPACT ON CHILDREN ARE ASSESSED, AND CHARACTERISTICS OF SEXUALLY ABUSED CHILDREN ARE DESCRIBED. REFERENCES ARE LISTED. (DEP)