Child sexual abuse in the United States is costly, with an average lifetime cost of $1.1 million per death of female victims and $1.5 million per death of male victims, according to a new study. . .They estimated the total lifetime economic burden of child sexual abuse in the United States to be $9.3 billion, based on child sexual abuse data from 2015. For nonfatal cases of child sexual abuse, the estimated lifetime cost is $282,734 per female victim. There was insufficient information on productivity losses for male victims, which contributed to a lower estimated lifetime cost of $74,691. The findings are published in the journal Child Abuse & Neglect.
As discussed before, adult survivors of sexual abuse can sue their perpetrators. They can seek damages for medical and therapeutic care. They may also seek damages for the lingering impairment of their capacity to carry on their life. After obtaining a money judgment, these victims can recover that judgment through seizure of assets and wages of the perp.
This new study provides excellent evidence of the damages which can be recovered at trial.
