Definitions

As I was working on a comparison between the GRACE investigation and one of Theresa Sidebotham's IHART investigations, I came across this short discussion of child-on-child abuse. The first thing I noticed was, after the title, there was an insistence on labeling it as something different. It was called "conduct," "acts," or "inappropriate behavior," and it seemed to be generally downplayed.

I was unsure about the conclusions it came to as well. I have read in various places that calling something child abuse (particularly regarding sexual abuse) depends on the act and the age of the victim, and there is a requirement for it to be reported by mandated reporters regardless of the age of the perpetrator. I know laws differ, but this focus on age gap, power differential, etc., seemed only to cause confusion rather than clarity.

Compared with a portion of the Florida statute, it seems like the difference is glaring. Not only does it call these perpetrators sexual offenders, but it also includes noncontact behaviors like phone calls, exhibitionism, and voyeurism. The Florida definition seems, from my layperson perspective, much more expansive than the Ethnos360 description.

So can anyone help me understand? Am I missing something?