To review the literature on child sexual abuse with emphasis on psychosocial/psychodynamic aspects.

Systematic literature review from the articles indexed in Medline, PSYinfo, Pepsic, Lilacs and Scielo in the last ten years. Terms researched were: child sexual abuse, psychosocial, psychodynamic and psychoanalysis.

Child sexual abuse can have devastating consequences for the psychological functioning of children, possibly interfering with their proper process of development. It can contribute to violent behavior, acts of delinquency and mental disorders in adolescence and adulthood, as well as the development of comorbid post-traumatic stress and self-aggressive behaviors, risk behaviors and teenage pregnancy. Gravity of psychic consequences increase in relation to the frequency of abuse. Aspects of power, seduction and coercion are involved. Inequalities of age and gender are highlighted. Often practiced without the use of physical force, it may be difficult to be proven. A frequent abuser of familiarity with the child creates conditions that foster abuse. The revelation of the abuse may not occur, perpetuating the suffering and helplessness of the child. Sexually abused children may develop identification with the abuser and even become sexual offenders in adulthood. There are difficulties in the conceptual definition of abuse, the establishment of protocols for investigative and therapeutic management of cases and in predicting the immediate consequences along with the medium and long-term consequences.

Studies on the therapeutic practices used for the treatment of abused children and their families can help to construct therapeutic models, minimizing suffering in this terrible situation of violence.