Child sexual abuse has been reported up to 80,000 times a year, but the number of unreported cases is much higher, because children are afraid to tell someone what happened (American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry). Childhood sexual abuse is a traumatic experience that affects not only the life of the victim, but also that of those close to her. Many think that there is only one person who is truly traumatized, but in reality everyone involved is affected. The victim must deal with their experience for the rest of their life. They may also be more at risk for other mental problems, including depression. The family involved must deal with their own pain, which often causes discomfort and discord within the family. This is especially true when the perpetrator is a family member. The offender now has problems to deal with. The main question is: what drives them to abuse? If the offender is a child, the path to treatment will be longer and more difficult, but at least he will have a better chance of recovery. So the therapists involved also have to deal with their own personal problems and deal with the horrible stories of their patients. They too must be recognized as victims of childhood sexual abuse. There is no definitive definition of what child sexual abuse is. Childhood sexual abuse may involve physical contact, but not always. Exposing your genitals to children or pressuring them to have sex is sexual abuse. Using a child for pornographic purposes is also sexual abuse. Most sexual abusers know the child they abuse. They can be family friends, neighbors or babysitters. About a third of abusers are related to the child. Most abusers are men. (National Library of Medicine). However, what if… middle of paper… therapists did this, with vicarious trauma? Many families and victims find it easier to ignore the facts and pretend that this never happened. Child sexual abuse is not something that is easily talked about, but with increased public awareness, child sexual abuse could be prevented for many children. With more openness and less fear about the topic, adult victims of child sexual abuse can begin to heal. With more support, child sexual abuse can in many cases be stopped. The public must keep in mind that there is more than one victim. When one child of the society is victimized, the entire society has been harassed. John Donne said it best many hundreds of years ago: "No man is an island, whole in himself; every man is a piece of the continent,...for I am involved in humanity, and therefore I never send word for who rings the bell; tolls for you."