The term “consensual” implies that a person freely agrees to do something and understands what they are consenting to do. When it comes to child abuse, no child can give consent, or freely agree, to engage in inappropriate behavior with an older person –however children can be manipulated such that it appears they have consented in some way out of deference to the abuser’s authority. This is why abuse often involves misuse or abuse of power over a victim and can be accomplished through a range of inappropriate behaviors that give the abuser the upper hand. To read more from the VIRTUS® article “Early Identification is Crucial,” visit https://lacatholics.org/did-you-know/.