Aftermath Of Child Sexual Abuse Research Articles

An investigation of healthcare professionals’ perspectives on the role of technology in child sexual abuse

ABSTRACT Evidence suggests an increasing involvement of technology and online activities in child sexual abuse (CSA); however, empirical knowledge of the phenomenon is limited. This study investigated the role technology/online activities play in CSA, from the perspectives of healthcare professionals. Fifteen multidisciplinary healthcare professionals specialising in CSA assessment and therapy for children and adolescents completed a semi-structured interview. Results indicate technology and online activities can feature in the facilitation, perpetration, and aftermath of CSA in various ways, presenting unique challenges for victims, caregivers, and involved professionals. A range of complexities were noted in relation to CSA where there is a cyber component (e.g. permanence and reach of CSA images online), and implications for assessment and therapy at the child, parent/guardian, and clinician levels (e.g. tolerating uncertainty regarding images existing online). These findings are summarised in a diagrammatic framework, alongside priorities and prerequisites for addressing the problem of online/technology-assisted CSA.

Aftermath of Child Sexual Abuse in Children in Korea: Data from the Nation-Funded Sexual Violence Victim Protection Center for Children.

Objectives:This study aimed to investigate the 3-year mean periods aftermath of child sexual abuse and to compare the sexual violence victims regard to the treatment.Methods:682 sexual violence victims were recruited by Seoul Sunflower Children Center, a nation-funded sexual violence victim protection center for children age 13, from 2004 to 2008. Data from 49 victims among 116 consented a follow-up, were analyzed. The victims were assessed by psychological test. Data was analyzed by SPSS ver. 15.0 (SPSS Inc.).Results:The average time elapsed from the last presumed sexual abuse was 39.7 months [standard deviation (SD) 26.02]. Overall, Children’s Depression Inventory (CDI) was significantly decreased from 15.8 (SD 9.33) to 10.4 (SD 9.98), and several subscales (depression, anxiety, anger, posttraumatic stress, and dissociation) of Trauma Symptom Checklist for Children (TSCC) were also significantly decreased. CDI and TSCC scores showed no statistical difference between treatment-given and not-given groups, but Revised Children’s Manifest Anxiety Scale (RCMAS) was decreased in treatment-given group, whereas it was increased in treatment-not-given group. The difference of RCMAS scores between the two groups was statistically significant [F(1,28)=4.54, p<0.05].Conclusion:Sexually abused children showed overall symptom decreases over time, but anxiety was not decreased in treatment not-given group.

Resilience to Child Sexual Abuse in Male College Students

Little is known about men's experiences in the aftermath of child sexual abuse (CSA). Consistent themes from qualitative studies were operationalized and tested for their impact on resilience. For the sample of college-enrolled men (n = 55), the themes of mattering and of traditional male attitudes were not related to resilience, but the theme of gender self-acceptance significantly predicted 23% of the variance in resilience scores. Importantly, the men's perceptions of the CSA events they experienced, whether they described these events as abusive or consensual, were not related to the men's resilience scores. The results indicated that effective counseling approaches to support men's recovery processes differ from those supporting women's recovery. These results suggest that mental health counselors should focus on encouraging male survivors' gender self-acceptance, exploring what it means to be a man in modern society, and examining points of connection with and disconnection from that cultural portrayal.

Beyond the Call: Mothers of Children with Developmental Disabilities Responding to Sexual Abuse

A qualitative, interdisciplinary study was undertaken to examine the experiences of mothers of children with developmental disabilities who were sexually abused. In-depth interviews were conducted with four mothers, their children, and the professionals involved with each case. The dual impact of caring for a child with a disability together with dealing with the aftermath of child sexual abuse, both personally and systemically, was considered. Individual professionals went out of their way to try to help, but, nonetheless, the abuse increased what was already a significant burden of care and further reinforced stigmatization, marginalization, and powerlessness. At the same time, the study painted a picture of committed and determined mothers who were devoted to their children.

Aftermath of child sexual abuse: Data from nation-funded sexual violence victim protection center for children under 13 in Korea

Aftermath of child sexual abuse: Data from nation-funded sexual violence victim protection center for children under 13 in Korea

Young Women's Social and Occupational Development and Mental Health in the Aftermath of Child Sexual Abuse

We examined social role functioning and depressive symptoms of young adults who were abused as children in data from a longitudinal community sample. Sexually abused women and men were more depressed during their senior year of high school, and this difference was more pronounced 2 years later. We then examined a mediational model to determine whether social functioning explained the course of depressive symptoms over this transitional period. Focusing only on young women, for whom the prevalence of abuse was much higher, results indicated that two-thirds of the effect of abuse on depressive symptoms was explained by experiences and choices in the domains of work, education and intimate relationships. Having less supportive intimate relationships and lower rates of attendance at 4-year colleges were particularly important. Findings reveal the key role played by early adult interpersonal and occupational development in perpetuating the mental health impact of childhood trauma.

Teachers coping with sexual abuse issues

Summary This paper is based on my study of how survivors, mothers of survivors and teachers of survivors cope in the aftermath of child sexual abuse. It explores aspects of the experiences of the 14 teacher respondents from that study. The paper examines how teachers dealt with sexual abuse issues and the effects of this on the teachers concerned. It concludes that often insufficient attention is paid to teachers' personal needs, and that in some instances, policies are not sufficiently responsive to the needs of all children. It argues that more training and greater openness are important concerns in dealing with this issue.

Dealing with the Aftermath of Child Sexual Abuse: A Reflection on Three Case Examples

This paper is based upon three stories which were told by respondents in a study of how survivors, mothers of survivors and teachers of survivors cope in the aftermath of child sexual abuse. These stories relate to interactions in the school or workplace and are discussed within the broader context of existing stereotypes and assumptions about abuse. The paper argues that assumptions about abuse can affect outcomes and can cause distress to others who become involved in dealing with it.

Transforming conflict: mediation and reparation in a staff team

Working with the aftermath of child sexual abuse places the individual practitioners, teams and organizations involved at risk of re-enacting the abusive dynamics of dominance and submission. An example of an effective intervention into a dysfunctional team illustrates how an alternative pattern of supportive companionable relating can be promoted. The team were enabled to re-evaluate their relationships and to rebuild in six stages via a process of mediation and reparation. Theoretical concepts informing a framework for change at personal, professional and organizational levels are drawn from attachment theory and research, trauma work, advocacy and groupwork. Reflections are offered on the wider need for transformation and repair as the millennium approaches after a decade of painful controversies in the professional and public domains. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Research as a counselling activity?: A discussion of some uses of counselling within the context of research on sensitive issues

The relationship between counselling and research strategies is examined tvithin the context of a qualitative study of people coping with the aftermath of child sexual abuse. Complementary aspects of both processes are explored within this context, and comparisons are made. The counselling potential of the research situation is identified. This is linked to the need for both researcher and research supervisor to develop additional skills.

The relation between methods of coping during adulthood with a history of childhood sexual abuse and current psychological adjustment.

With a community sample of 192 women who had been sexually abused during childhood, the investigators determined if methods of coping in adulthood with the aftermath of child sexual abuse were associated with current symptoms of psychological distress. Multiple regression analyses indicated that disengagement methods of coping with the sexual abuse accounted for unique variance in general psychological distress even after controlling for characteristics of the abuse and methods of coping with other stressors. Disengagement methods of coping were also used more often to deal with the stressful aspects of having been sexually abused than to deal with other stressful events. In contrast, engagement methods of coping were used more often to deal with the other stressors than with sexual abuse.

The aftermath of child sexual abuse of African American and white American women: The victim's experience

Several aspects of the victim's personal experience in the aftermath of child sexual abuse are described. Subject recruitment involved a multi-stage stratified probability sample of 126 African American and 122 White women, ages 18 to 36 years in Los Angeles County, matched on education, marital status, and the presence of children. Few ethnic differences were related to the initial response and short-term effects of the victim's experiences. Lasting effects of sexual abuse included sexual problems for women of both ethnic groups, but avoidance of men resembling the perpetrator was identified among African American women. Ethnicity may be a contributing factor to other adjustment related problems that African American women encounter in addition to their child sexual victimization. The implications of these findings and issues in the assessment of the aftermath are discussed.