Congressman Major R. Owens at the opening of a field hearing on child sexual abuse in New York on April 20, 1992, stated “Ignoring or mistreating child sexual abuse is tantamount to allowing an untreated cancer to grow in our society.” At that hearing, experts and parents testified concerning the obstacles to addressing and remedying this problem. The Honorable David Paterson, a state senator from New York, testified that one of every three young girls and one of every five boys become the victims of child sexual abuse and that a high percentage of those most afflicted repeat the cycle.
