Why do the Victims Blame Themselves?

Sexual abuse of a child is one of the most horrendous events that can occur in an individuals life, yet it is probably one of the most common of all crimes. Why do we put such a low value on the lives of our children? Why don't we protect and stand up for these little ones? Yes, there have been many false accusations, but ususally the false accusations are aided and abetted by adults in order to bring harm to other adults. I never told my mother about the abuse I endured by neighbors until I was 34 years old. She could not believe that I had not told her about this abuse, but I felt I was at fault and that somehow I had done something to make the abuse start. I did not tell my parents as I thought they would be angry with me for causing these events. I had no idea that i was totally blaqmeless in this situation. I could not imagine that the three adults were to blame and not me. I felt for so long that I had done something to cause these adults to act this way. I never knew that adults made bad choices just as small children did. I thought it was my fault; that I had somehow caused these people to make sexual advances towards me, an eight year child. This was exactly what these adults wanted, for the children to blame themsleves for the acts that the adults perpetrated on us. How very cruel to cause the children to think it was their fault when it was the pedophiles who had exploited us fault.