What Child Sexual Abuse Is

In general it is "any sexual activity between an adult and child under the age of 14 ..., between an adult in a position of trust or authority towards a child between the ages of 14 and 18 ... without the consent of the child of any age... or the use of children in prostitution and pornography". Sexual abuse is any behaviour of a sexual nature towards a child, including:

• touching or any invitation to touch for sexual purposes, menacing or threatening sexual acts, obscene gestures, obscene communications or stalking, sexual references to the child's body, or behaviour by words or gestures that request that the child expose his/her body
• exposure of the child to sexual activity or materials

Sexual exploitation includes permitting, encouraging or requiring a child to engage in:

• conduct of a sexual nature for the stimulation, gratification, profit or self interests of another person who is in a position of trust or authority, or with whom the child is in a relationship of dependency
• prostitution
• production of material of a pornographic nature

(This material was abstracted from the "BC Handbook for Action on Child Abuse and Neglect". It is published by the Ministry of Children and Family Development and can be viewed on the Internet at: http://www.gov.bc.ca/mcf/)