ABSTRACT
Objective: We aimed to evaluate the characteristics of child sex-ual abuse reports and the affecting factors during the pandemic compared to the pre-pandemic period.Material and Method: The study included 506 children and ad-olescents admitted to the Child Advocacy Center (CAC). Case and control groups were determined according to the time of admission (first 15 months of the pandemic and 15 months be -fore the pandemic). The data were obtained by retrospectively examining the files, forensic investigation reports, family evalu-ation reports, and other documents in the files of the children in the legal process. Result: Cases applied to CAC during the pandemic decreased by 16 percent. Sexual abuse reported by teachers and profes-sionals such as public servants decreased from 30% to 4.7%. However, abuse through online platforms doubled. Finally, re-current domestic abuse increased significantly during quaran-tine (p<0.001). Conclusion: The pandemic changed the way CAC is admitted and the specifics of abuse. The teachers and public servants reported fewer incidences of sexual abuse during the pandemic period. In addition, the form of abuse shifted to the online platform, and recurrent domestic abuses have increased. Professionals working in the field of sexual abuse should keep in mind that the possible effects of these changes may continue after the pandemic.