Childhood sexual abuse is an issue with great international impact and a high prevalence – according to WHO. At present, at least 150 million girls and 73 million boys have been victims of some kind of sexual abuse before having 18 years of age. This study, directed mainly towards the symptomatology of this issue, intends to present the state of the art about the subject in the period from 2004 to2010, additionally, valuable and current information is presented regarding risk factors, in order to provide a better understanding of the phenomenon. It is concluded that research shows the psychopathological diversity involved in the experience and that contradictions between studies can still be found, which indicates that the subject has not been sufficiently studied. Keywords : Childhood sexual abuse, review, symptomatology.