Differences in Family Functioning of Sexually Abused vs. Nonabused Enuretics

Abstract

The present study examined self-reported maternal depression, children's somatic complaints, and perception of family functioning in sexually abused and nonabused enuretics. Forty children with primary nocturnal enuresis served as subjects. Half had documented histories of sexual abuse while the other half did not report a history of victimization. Results indicated that those children with a history of sexual abuse perceived and rated their families as significantly more conflictual and rigid than their nonabused counterparts. Variables such as type of abuse (intrafamilial vs. extrafamilial) and perpetrator did not affect the outcome. However, there were no significant differences in child somatic complaints or maternal depression between the two groups. These results suggest that primary nocturnal enuresis may manifest itself differently in families of sexually abused children than nonabused children. Implications of these findings with respect to intervention are discussed.