D.4: “I was just a child”
29. Most victims and survivors described being sexually abused from a young age. Seventy-nine percent of Truth Project participants said that they were aged 11 or under when they were first sexually abused (Figure D.1). Victims and survivors who were abused as infants or toddlers often could not recall when exactly the abuse started. Donna said her father sexually abused her from as far back as she could remember.[1] Victims and survivors who were sexually abused at a very young age sometimes described the physical difference between them and the sexual abuser. Mary-Beth simply said: “He was so big and I was so little”.[2]
Figure D.1: Age at which child sexual abuse began for Truth Project participants
Long Description
Percentage
0-3 years
12
4-7 years
35
8-11 years
32
12-15 years
18
16-17 years
2
30. Other victims and survivors were first sexually abused as teenagers. Those who were sexually abused after they had turned 16 were sometimes made to feel that they were not experiencing sexual abuse, as they were above the legal age of consent. One Truth Project participant recalled that shortly after his 16th birthday, the woman who sexually abused him said “well, at least you’re legal now”.[3]
31. More female than male victims and survivors talked about experiencing sexual abuse beginning at a very young age (Figure D.2). Fifty-four percent of female Truth Project participants and 32 percent of male participants were first sexually abused when they were under the age of eight. By contrast, the majority of male Truth Project participants (68 percent) reported sexual abuse beginning when they were aged eight years or older.
Figure D.2: Age at which child sexual abuse began for Truth Project participants, by sex
Long Description
Males
Females
Age 0-3 years
5%
15%
Age 4-7 years
27%
39%
Age 8-11 years
40%
28%
Age 12-15 years
25%
16%
Age 16-17 years
3%
2%
32. Victims and survivors sexually abused by a family member, foster carer or member of their foster family reported sexual abuse beginning at a younger age than those abused by staff in institutions such as residential care or schools (Figure D.3). Ninety percent of Truth Project participants who were sexually abused by a family member and 78 percent of those abused by their foster carer said that the abuse began when they were aged 11 or younger. Elspeth’s earliest recollections of being raped by her father are from before she started primary school.[4] Joyce was raped by her older brother from as far back as she could remember.[5]
Figure D.3: Age at which child sexual abuse began for Truth Project participants, by who the perpetrator was*
Long Description
0-3 years
4-7 years
8-11 years
12-15 years
16-17 years
Family member
20%
43%
27%
10%
1%
Foster carer/family
9%
35%
34%
19%
3%
Health professional
5%
14%
30%
30%
21%
Another child, not related
4%
32%
33%
27%
3%
Defence forces personnel
4%
4%
24%
60%
8%
Religious staff
3%
22%
41%
28%
6%
Residential care worker
3%
21%
30%
43%
4%
Educational staff
1%
17%
43%
35%
5%
Custodial staff
0%
4%
24%
32%
40%
Sports staff
0%
10%
44%
42%
4%
* In this figure, ‘staff’ refers to formally employed, contracted and voluntary or unpaid staff. Some of the data in this figure are influenced by the age at which children were likely to have had contact with individuals. For example, it is unlikely that a child under the age of 10 would be abused by someone in a custodial institution as the Youth Custody Service is responsible for children aged 10–17 years old.