Sexual abuse of children.

Increasing emphasis is being placed on the identification and management of sexual abuse in children. Family physicians have a role to play in identifying and treating these children. Some common myths about sexual abuse are that assaults are made mostly by strangers, that sexual abuse is rare, and that there's nothing wrong with sex between adults and children. Indicators in the child may be physical or behavioral. In the family, indicators include fathers with low self-esteem, poor relationships with wives, tendency to be domineering and restrictive, and mothers who are passive. Immediate and longterm intervention includes legal, protective and treatment components. The essential factors in successful intervention are belief in the child's disclosure; communication of that belief to the child; and immediate protection of the child and siblings.