Professional Writing on Child Sexual Abuse from 1900 to 1975: Dominant Themes and Impact on Prosecution

Abstract

This article has two purposes. First, the article examines professional writing prior to 1975 on child sexual abuse. The examination of pre-1975 writing focuses on articles and books in the mental health and legal literatures. Several attitudes or themes emerge from examination of pre-1975 writing on child sexual abuse, and these themes are discussed. The second purpose of this article is to provide insight into prosecution of child sexual abuse in the United States from 1900 to 1950. Very little is known about prosecution prior to the 1980s, and the research described in this article provides new information regarding prosecution during the first half of the 20th century. Among other things, the article examines whether the attitudes and themes found in professional writing prior to 1975 are reflected in court decisions of the time.