Child psychiatry and child sexual abuse

This document has been prepared in the light of major changes in the law, developments in clinical practice and new research findings since the publication of the previous position statement about child sexual abuse in 1988 (Royal College of Psychiatrists). This paper will briefly outline these developments, then describe the current context within which child psychiatrists work, before reviewing the various types of child sexual abuse referrals and varieties of work with which the contemporary child psychiatrist is likely to be involved, concluding with some practical issues which face us in the 1990s.