More than 270 child sex offences were recorded in the Illawarra in the last financial year, with many offenders known to their victims.
The figures, released by the Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research, showed police recorded 143 sexual assaults, 112 indecent assaults or acts of indecency, and 18 other sexual offences against children in the year ending June 2008.
Detective Sergeant Kevin Bale, from the Wollongong child protection and sex crimes squad, said many parents did not realise just how many cases were being reported.
"I don't think people realise the volume," Sgt Bale said.
"Because of the private nature (of offences) they're not promoted to be public.
"One of the difficulties of making people realise is they are not reported in the media, therefore do not attract attention."
The unit covers the region from Helensburgh to the Shoalhaven and, Sgt Bale said, since January his unit had received 151 reports, predominantly child sexual assaults and serious physical abuse of children.
This figure puts the area in the middle of the range for these types of offences statewide.
Over the same period last year, the unit had received 126 reports.
"It has increased slightly ... I think (the figure) is due to an increase in reporting."
The children suffering abuse often knew their attackers, Sgt Bale said, and they were in positions of trust in the children's lives. They may be a parent, step-parent, family friend or member of the extended family.
"A larger percentage (of the offenders) would be known to the victim rather than a stranger," Sgt Bale said.
"One of the hardest things for us is (offenders) are generally someone that has no criminal record whatsoever.
"There's no mould that they fit."
Sgt Bale said the biggest problem with this kind of offence was that abusers breached the children's trust and their families'.
"Often the abuser is someone (the child) knows and trusts and children don't necessarily understand what they are doing is wrong," he said.
"The abuser often instils a confidence in the child.
"There's an issue of trust: 'If you tell anyone they won't believe you'.
"Children need someone they feel they can trust and openly talk to without the person disbelieving them."
Southern Youth and Family Services CEO Narelle Clay described the crimes as a "horrible, insidious thing" which can affect children well into adulthood.
"For many young people - even when it happens when they were children - when they are adolescents, when they take more control of themselves, when their own sexuality starts developing, some of the impacts come out then," she said.
The affects on children and young people are varied depending on the victim, Ms Clay said, but could include homelessness, drug and alcohol abuse, depression, self-harm, sleep disorders, eating disorders, difficulty forming relationships and anger.
"There's a whole range of psychological conditions that can occur as a result," she said.
"It can be very hard for adolescents to be brave enough to engage in counselling to move on.
"There's not enough services around, sometimes you see young people who can't get access to the expert help they need, sometimes that help is required after hours.
"As we cut health services, there's a declining amount of services yet there appears to be increasing numbers (of people who need them)."
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