Don’t be fooled by recent headlines. Child sexual abuse isn’t just committed by “those people” under those circumstances.

The drumbeat of allegations about the Catholic Church, David Hahn, Jim West and a former counselor at Morning Star Boys’ Ranch could very well give readers a distorted view of a pervasive societal problem. Those scandals have two features that are atypical:

First, they largely involved boys, but girls are more often the victims of child sexual abuse. Second, none of the alleged perpetrators was a relative. Most sexual assaults are committed by a family member or an acquaintance.

Sexual orientation is another point of confusion. Heterosexual men are the most common perpetrators, though you wouldn’t know it from some of the knee-jerk reactions. Rather than putting a political spin on such heinous acts, society would be better off acknowledging the extent of the problem:

•Forty-four percent of rape victims are under the age of 18; 15 percent are under 12 (Bureau of Justice Statistics, 1997).

•Seven percent of girls and 3 percent of boys in grades five through eight have been sexually abused. In grades nine through 12, it’s 12 percent for girls and 5 percent for boys (Commonwealth Fund Survey of Health of Adolescent Girls, 1998).

•Only 7 percent of attackers are strangers (BJS, 2000).

•Forty-eight percent of abused boys in grades 5 through 12 didn’t tell anyone; 29 percent of girls kept quiet (Commonwealth Fund Survey).

Statistics about child sexual abuse vary depending on definitions, but there is no mistaking that the problem is prevalent. Education about stranger danger is important, especially in a place like Spokane County, which gets more than its share of released sex offenders. But society is eerily quiet about the more typical cases. For many children, home is the most dangerous place they can be.

For instance, a man was arrested Saturday in the Houston suburb of Pasadena after a 13-year-old girl was raped. Later, police discovered that the girl’s mother allegedly sent the man nude photos of her daughter so he could sell them. Such twisted acts are all too common in households across America, and they cut across socioeconomic lines.

We must face up to this insidious scourge and encourage victims and witnesses to speak up. Predators count on society’s reluctance to butt into other people’s business. Their young victims are no match for them physically and psychologically, so it is up to caring adults to arm them with knowledge and confidence.

Moreover, when abuse is reported, children need immediate psychological help. If recent news has taught us anything, it’s that the wounds cannot heal themselves.