Child Sexual Abuse Cases Research Articles

Long-term healthcare utilisation following child sex abuse: A follow-up study utilising five years of medical data

BackgroundLimited attention has been paid to the long-term physical health consequences experienced by CSA survivors. Research has found that CSA is often associated with increased health burden in adulthood. However, research in this area is plagued by a range of methodological difficulties, rendering it difficult to draw conclusions regarding the health status of CSA survivors. ObjectiveThis research sought to investigate associations between child sexual abuse (CSA) victimisation and rates of subsequent healthcare utilisation. MethodThe forensic medical records of 2759 cases of CSA between 1964 and 1995 were linked to commonwealth Australian medical data recorded between 2010 and 2015. Differences in rates of health service utilisation during this five-year period were compared between CSA victims and a age and gender matched comparison cohort without known abuse history. FindingsCSA was associated with increased levels of attendance at health professionals (OR = 1.51, p < .001) for medical care and for consultations related to dental (OR = 1.28, p < .001) and chronic disease (OR = 1.23, p <.001). CSA was associated with lower mean rates of attendance at gynaecologists. Gender and age at abuse significantly influenced the relationship between CSA and frequency of health service utilisation. ConclusionsExperiencing CSA was associated with increases in rates of contact with health professionals. Abused females and victims abused after 12 years of age demonstrated the greatest elevations in rates of service utilisation. These findings have significance for both researchers in this field, and medical practitioners providing primary care.

Tindak Pidana Kekerasan Seksual Terhadap Anak Menurut Hukum Hindu

Laws are basically made with the aim of creating security and order in people's lives. Although the law was made to bring order to life, but in reality there are still many people who break them. One of the acts that often happens in society today is the exploitation of children. One of the cases of child exploitation that occurred as a case of child sexual abuse. The contributing factors are internal factors (such as the proximity of the perpetrator to the victim) and external factors (such as being away from the crowd). Because of that, efforts to protect children really need to be done. According to Law Number 23 of 2002, a child is given protection from the womb until he is 18 (eighteen) years old. In this regard, in Hinduism we can also find a legal term known as dharma. Hindu law is divided into two, namely public law (Kantaka Sodhana or Hindu criminal law) and private law (Dharmasthiya or Hindu civil law). The Kantaka Sodhāna can be seen in a subjective sense (ius puniedi) and in an objective sense (ius poenale). Then, regarding the crime of sexual violence against children is not specifically regulated in Hindu law, but the relationship made between men and women who do not have legitimate ties of marriage (marriage), then this act is a crime called Lokika Sanggraha. Therefore, acts of sexual violence against children can be likened to the act of Lokika Sanggraha. In this regard, in Article 171 Ekadaso'dhyayah Mānava Dharmaśāstra, the deed can be blamed and threatened with imprisonment for 12 (twelve) years. The term tapa must be interpreted as imprisonment because in a state a person is imprisoned as suffering as a hermit.

Weighing Ethical Considerations in Proposed Non-recent Child Sexual Abuse Investigations: A Response to Maslen and Paine’s Oxford CSA Framework

Questions about when it is right for police forces to investigate alleged offences committed in the more or less distant past have become increasingly pressing. Recent widely publicized cases of child sexual abuse (CSA) and exploitation, sometimes involving high profile individuals, have illustrated the ethical, psychological, and forensic complexities of investigating non-recent child sexual abuse. Hannah Maslen and Colin Paine have developed the Oxford CSA Framework to assist police to weigh the various ethical considerations that militate for and against initiating a CSA investigation. While such a tool is to be welcomed, and while there is much that is helpful in Maslen and Paine's approach, we suggest that the Oxford CSA framework could be strengthened. Our first suggestion is to abandon a proposed distinction between a set of considerations that is said to generate a “presumption” in favor of investigation and other considerations that may supplement or oppose this presumption. Our second suggestion is to review the weightings applied to the considerations within the model, which lack clear justification and create problematic effects. Finally, we suggest that referring the Oxford CSA Framework to a panel with lived and professional experience of CSA could serve important procedural justice goals and enhance the Framework's recommendations.

Special measures in child sexual abuse cases: views of Australian criminal justice professionals

ABSTRACT We explored Australian criminal justice professionals’ views on how well special measures for child complainants of sexual abuse are working in practice. We interviewed judges, prosecutors, defence counsel and witness assistance officers (n = 43) from four Australian jurisdictions, using a qualitative, non-directive approach. Overall, professionals perceived that special measures had improved evidence-giving processes for child complainants, but they nonetheless noted considerable room for improvement. The four overarching concerns that characterised the professionals’ responses were: (1) a lack of skilled and well-informed personnel; (2) widespread problems with technology and logistics; (3) a lack of flexibility in recognising that every witness is different; and (4) potential negative effects of special measures on impact trial fairness.

Female Sexual Offending: A Neglected Criminal Justice Issue

Scholars, researchers, and law enforcement officers examining child sexual abuse cases are beginning to report that adolescent and adult females are responsible for a growing number of sexual offenses. This new revelation may reveal that justice officials and many in the lay public do not view the gravity of female and male sexual offending equally. This investigation reveals that female sex offending is more common than traditionally thought and is a neglected criminal justice issue. It also shows that until society recognizes that sex offending is not a gendered crime, more cases will escape the attention of the criminal justice system.

Protective and Supportive Injunctions for Children Exposed to Sexual Abuse: The First Data from Turkey

ABSTRACT Child sexual abuse (CSA) requires multidisciplinary approach by forensic, social, and medical services, thus Child Advocacy Centers (CACs) have been established to evaluate CSA cases in Turkey. At CACs the social needs of children are assessed by social workers. Protective and supportive injunctions (PSIs) are considered at each step of evaluation and are proposed to child courts. This study aimed to evaluate PSIs at a local CAC, which is one of the leading CACs in Turkey. The study group consisted of children and adolescents exposed to CSA admitted to Izmir CAC between April 2014 and April 2015. Socio-demographic characteristics, social investigation reports, psychiatric reports, and proposed PSIs were evaluated. The rate of social investigation necessity was 28.3% (n = 113), and the rate of being proposed for at least one PSI was 24.3% (n = 97). The most common proposed injunctions were maintenance care injunctions (n = 47; 48%) and counseling injunctions (n = 46; 47%). The rate of proposed PSIs was significantly higher in adolescents, incest cases and abuse types including penetration than in the other groups. This is the first study to evaluate PSIs in the child protection system. Our results provide data about the risk groups that need PSIs among the victims of CSA cases.

Sexual Offences against Children Act 2017 (Act 792) - A Boost to Police Investigation and Prosecution

Sexual Offences against Children Act 2017 (Act 792) which came into force on 10 July 2017 has a significant impact on police investigation and prosecution. Hitherto the police relied on the Penal Code (Act) to investigate all children sexual abuse cases since there were no specific laws against the perpetration of child pornography, sexual grooming and other sexual abuses against children. Apparently not only does Act 792 confer extra powers upon the police to conduct investigation, it also simplifies the investigation and prosecution works of the police and Deputy Public Prosecutors respectively. This paper aims to examine Act 792 in relation to police investigation and prosecution since its implementation about two years ago. Its effectiveness is evaluated by comparing the overall cases investigated, charged in courts and convicted under this new statute. In addition, an analysis on the type of social media used to entice child victims in rape cases and age of the child victims are also conducted. This is a library-based qualitative research plus a face-to-face interview with a judge who presides over child sexual abuse cases. For conclusion, this paper makes some suggestions to improve the investigation, prosecution and also the Special Court for Child Sexual Crime which was launched on 22 June 2017 at the Palace of Justice, Putrajaya.

A study on the differences in legal practices in child abuse cases with examples from different countries

Sex crimes against children is a global problem. The rate of such crimes are significant even societies with high levels of education and income. This study aimed to address necessary measures to minimize this problem by discussing the data and laws regarding sex crimes against children in five countries.The study reviewed scientific data on sex crimes against children in India, Canada, the Netherlands, UK and Turkey and the relevant penal codes in these countries, and compared the respective articles and practices. India is one of the countries with the highest number of child sexual abuse cases. The most interesting aspect of the Canadian law is that the law mentions peer relationships. It is noted that the criminal justice system in the Netherlands is, as opposed to many other countries, based on principles of rehabilitation and resocialization. The longer penalty times are striking in UK Sexual Offences Act 2003.The data from Turkish Statistical Institute shows that the number of sexual abuse cases are extremely high in Turkey.Child sexual abuse is a frequent problem in the world. Unfortunately, related studies, training and legislative regulations are not sufficient to solve this problem. It is observed that abuse cases increase in countries having weak and middle economies; however, the opposite evaluation is not completely correct. It can’t be suggested that standard education programs, increased levels of income and the securing of justice are the only solutions. Sexual abuse training through standard methods are insufficient to prevent this problem. Educational specialists need to develop new educational methods to address the problem. The rehabilitation of child victims is as important as punishment of offenders. This study advocates that necessary steps should be taken for the widespread establishment of Child Protection Centers, which play a significant role in the rehabilitation and treatment of victims.

Forensic Identification of Child Sexual Abuse.

This paper reviews relevant literatures at home and abroad. The cases of child sexual abuse are systematically discussed from the aspects of epidemiology and forensic examination, in order to develop and improve the inspection and appraisal thinking and ability of domestic forensic workers in such cases. The paper also briefly introduces the current situation and existing problems of dealing with child sexual abuse cases for case-handling units at base level in China, in order to provide help to the formulation, improvement and development of relevant standards and norms for child protection in China.

Piccole farfalle: abuso sexual na infância e adolescência, suicídio e intervenção

The need for evidence that psychological interventions for children and adolescents who are victims of sexual abuse actually assist them in reducing psychopathological symptoms and increase overall well-being, including those at risk of suicide, has challenged studies aimed at scientifically evaluating. intervention models. In Manaus (AM-Brasil), since 2015, the Servico de Atendimento Psicologico da Arquidiocese de Manaus (SAPFAM), currently supported by Caritas (Projeto Ica Acao e Protecao) and the Italian institution Aleimar - Onlus, has been providing intervention assistance for girls and boys who have been sexually abused. This research aims to present descriptively the experience of a community psychological service aimed at children and adolescents who suffered sexual abuse, trying to identify in the users’ protocols the presence of suicidal ideation, suicide attempts, self-mutilation and the intervention steps of the therapeutic model. This is a descriptive, cross-sectional study with retrospective collection and quantitative and qualitative approach. From 146 cases of child and adolescent sexual abuse reported in SAPFAM (2014-2017), a sample of 71 child and adolescent follow-up protocols (47.6%) aged between eight and fourteen years was obtained (52 girls and 19 boys). In line with the clinical results found in specialized articles that prove the effectiveness of the application of Cognitive Behavior Therapy models. We also concluded that the application of psychological instruments in the different stages of intervention, according to the objectives and techniques employed by the group therapy model by SAPFM was effective in psychological assessment and intervention so that children and adolescents do not commit suicide, and know how to cope, reduce or overcome the symptoms associated with it, enabling the “Piccole Farfalle” to fly.

Community Attitudes towards Child Sexual Abuse: A Case of Chawama Lusaka, Zambia

Background: Child sexual abuse continues to be an issue of great concern and recognized as a public health problem in Zambia. Hence the study examined community attitudes and beliefs that shape communities perceptions towards child sexual abuse, the interaction between adults and children which consequently hinder reporting of child sexual abuse cases. Methods: A qualitative study design was employed. Nine focus group discussions (FGD) with 49 participants comprising 5 to 6 participants in each FGD and nine indepth interviews guided by an interview guide were used to collect data. Participants were selected using purposive sampling. The collected data were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using thematic analysis. Results: Two major themes namely: 1) Defilement, an unacceptable yet concealed phenomenon, and 2) Parental negligence as a major contributor to child sexual abuse, emerged from the data. Participants highlighted that communities regarded child abuse to be necessary for reported only if the abused child was less than 5 years old, a female, and if the trauma the child was subjected to was severe. This was because older girls were seen to be able to have consensual sex, and boys were traditionally viewed as being strong and thus, not report most cases. Parents were also seen to be losing control over their children as most of them were involved in excessive alcohol intake, leading to failure in managing their children. Poverty was another aspect reported to have led parents to send their children into prostitution. As a result parents could not report, as they felt they partly contributed to their children being sexually abused. Conclusion/Recommendations: The study showed that communities do not accept child sexual abuse, but yet they were reluctant to report the cases. It is imperative therefore, that communities learn the importance of reporting sexual abuse cases; as failure to report is risky behavior that can put the abused child and others at risk of other negative vices too.

Simulated judicial decision-making for African and European American adolescents with illegal sexual behavior: The impact of medical data and victim race/ethnicity.

The perceived importance of victim and defendant race/ethnicity and medical evidence in child sexual abuse cases has been recognized separately in the literature. However, few studies have considered these factors simultaneously. Within a sample of 880 college students, an interaction effect was tested between the presence of medical evidence and the race/ethnicity of a juvenile defendant and victim using child sexual abuse case vignettes. The main effects of medical evidence and the race of the defendant were observed. Medical evidence and race of victim influenced victim believability such that medical evidence was more impactful for cases with African American victims. Further, there were interactions between the race of the defendant and the race of the victim in adult versus juvenile court decisions, sex offender registration and notification requirements, and length of sex offender registration and notification. Interracial sexual offending was associated with substantially higher punishment than intraracial sexual offending. Accordingly, several important implications for court-level decision-making processes are explored.

Descriptive Analysis of the Characteristics of Proven Cases of Sexual Abuse in Victims With Intellectual Disabilities and Children With Typical Development in Spain.

Children and people with intellectual disability (ID) are considered to be highly vulnerable and in need of special protection against sexual abuse (SA). The objective of this work was to analyze the characteristics of cases of SA in children with typical development and in people with ID in Spain. To do so, 25 cases of each type that had been investigated by specialized groups of the Judicial Police of the Spanish Civil Guard and that had been classified as proven and confirmed by police and forensic-medical evidence were analyzed. The results allowed the establishment of the typical minor victim profile as Spanish female (76%), with an average age of 8.64 years. Typical victim with ID was characterized as being of Spanish, aged 20.28 years on average, without prior sexual experience, and similar percentages of males (40%) and females (60%). In both cases, the aggressor usually acted alone, was known to the victim, had an average age of 42 years, and without a history of sexual offenses. The most common child sexual crime was SA with penetration, practiced repeatedly, using strategies such as the use of force, authority, rewards, or secrecy. Victims with ID suffered sexual abuse with penetration, using force, authority, threats or blackmail. Finally, 36% of minors not disclose the events by only 8% of victims with ID. Spontaneity was found in the 40% first disclosure in both victims, with greater police evidence and greater recognition of guilt on behalf of the aggressors against victims without disabilities. Minors took an average of 26.26 days to report the facts, and victims with ID of 64.94. It is necessary to know more about these types of offenses to design appropriate prevention and detection programs.

A retrospective approach to examining child abuse disclosure

BackgroundOften times, a child’s disclosure is the only forensic evidence available in child abuse cases. Therefore, understanding disclosure patterns of suspected child abuse victims plays a critical role in the forensic investigations of both child physical abuse (CPA) and child sexual abuse (CSA) cases. ObjectiveTo explore adults’ retrospective reports about childhood disclosure of CPA and CSA. Participants and settingCollege students (N = 907) were screened for reported histories of CSA (n = 94) or CPA (n = 109). MethodsThrough an online survey, participants provided anonymous information regarding CSA and CPA experiences along with information about any disclosure events or opportunities that they have encountered since the abuse. ResultsAmong the adults reporting CSA histories, 50 % indicated disclosing the abuse during childhood; 80 % indicated any lifetime disclosure. Among the adults indicating CPA histories, 32 % reportedly disclosed the abuse to someone during childhood with 52 % reporting any lifetime disclosure. For both groups, length of delay until disclosure was bimodal with many individuals reporting immediately and many waiting considerable time. Among adults reporting CSA, a minority (16 %) indicated the abuse came to the attention of authorities, with even fewer CPA cases (8%) reporting authorities were aware of their abuse. Denial and recantation in a formal setting was infrequent regardless of abuse type reported. ConclusionsGiven that participants experiencing CSA and CPA both reported low levels of denial and recantation, forensic investigators and practitioners may benefit from considering consistent interviewing approaches and protocols, regardless of the type of abuse suspected.

Race-Based Sexual Stereotypes Influence Ratings of Child Victims in Sexual Abuse Cases

Children’s rights to personal safety and their rights to justice when that safety has been violated should be applied universally, irrespective of a child victim’s race. Yet when children disclose sexual abuse, racial prejudice could affect adults’ judgments of child victims. The present study examined how endorsement of the Jezebel stereotype (that Black females are lascivious and hypersexual) and exposure to sexualized videos influence perceptions of Black female child sexual abuse (CSA) victims. Undergraduates (N = 213) completed a Jezebel stereotype questionnaire and were randomly assigned (within gender/race) to experimental condition based on a 2 (victim age: 6 vs. 10 years) × 2 (victim race: Black, White) × 3 (priming condition: Black sexual video, White sexual video, no video) factorial design. Participants viewed one of the videos, read a CSA case, and then provided ratings about the case. Results suggest bias against Black girls even as young as 6 years old. For example, Black (compared to White) girls were perceived as less traumatized by their victimization. Participants who viewed the Black video and judged a Black victim rated the victim as less credible than those who viewed the Black video and judged a White victim. A number of participant gender differences in ratings of the child victims were also uncovered. The findings expand research on stereotyping and child victims. Implications for CSA case adjudication and children’s rights are discussed.

Female Child and Adolescent Sexual Abuse Cases Reported at the Geneva University Hospitals Between 2006 and 2014: A Retrospective Study.

To provide an objective quantification of the demographic characteristics and clinical findings related to female child and adolescent sexual abuse cases reported at the Geneva University Hospitals. Retrospective study. Obstetrics and gynecology emergency unit. Female children (0-12years old) and adolescents (13-20years old) seeking primary care after sexual assault. None, observational study. Delay from assault to time of presentation to primary care presentation, type of perpetrators, and the presence gynecological and bodily lesions. Compared with children, a significantly higher proportion of adolescents presented to the hospital within 24hours (134/289 (46.4%)vs 7/33 (21.2%); P=.006). Perpetrators were family members in 15/36 (41.7%) of children and in only 14/304 (4.6%) of adolescent patients (P<.00001); perpetrators were unfamiliar/nonrelated people in 8/36 (22.2%) of children and in 166/304 (54.6%) of adolescent patients (P<.0003). We did not find a significant difference between the 2 age groups with regard to the presence of gynecological lesions (15/35 (42.9%) of children and 91/298 (30.5%) of adolescent patients). However, we found a significant difference in the proportion of patients with bodily lesions such that 11/36 (30.6%) of children and 175/300 (58.3%) of adolescents (P=.002) were afflicted with bodily lesions. To our knowledge this is the first study to evaluate child and adolescent sexual abuse cases on the basis of real-life data collected in Switzerland. Our results highlight important differences in child and adolescent sexual assault in terms of delay in presentation to primary care, perpetrator's relation to the victim, and presence of bodily lesions. This study confirms that gynecological findings alone are not consistently present in the patients who seek primary care after sexual assault.

Psychiatric assessment of child victims of sexual abuse by Ham A and D Scale: A Descriptive Study

In today’s world man finds himself exposed to the temptations of (This entire sentence is not objective, scientific terminology) (These crimes are not limited to TODAY’s world, the perpetrator is not always a man, and evil is not a scientific subject to be included in a scholarly paper, it is subjective to individual beliefs and laws). A movement should have been augmented to fight against these (do not use dramatic subjective terms) societal crimes, which forms a sort of mental purge for those so inclined to take advantage of their positions of trust. Child abuse has historically been a common offence against children without sufficient social and legal sanctions throughout the world. To deal with child sexual abuse cases while treating the victims, it’s necessary to assess the patient’s psychiatric health. The victims were examined after obtaining informed consent from the child or from their guardian. Results The patient’s psychiatric health was determined by the Hamilton Scale for depression and anxiety. The total number of cases was 52. Of the 52 cases 33 patients (i.e. 63.5 % of the cases) consented to undergo medical examination. 19 victims (36.5%) did not give their consent for their medical examination. The mean Hamilton A score for anxiety was 19.39 and mean Hamilton D score for depression was 28.81. Conclusions When the accused is known to the victim most cases are associated with severe or very severe degree of depression; and moderate or severe anxiety. After completing a detail study of the violations of minor girls it is concluded that it would be beneficial for the global society to take initiatives to minimize the incidence of such acts.

Characteristics of Victims in Child Sexual Abuse Cases in Southern Provinces and Cities of Vietnam and Prevention Solutions

The right to protection of human life, health, dignity and honor is the sacred and noble right, recognized in the Constitution and protected by the Vietnamese Criminal law. However, in the pass years, the situation of crimes of sexual assault including child sexual abuse in Southern provinces and cities which are 32 provinces and cities from Da Nang to Ca Mau has been complicated both in number and nature of activities. In this paper, the author intends to investigate the criminal situation, characteristics of victims in child sexual abuse cases, legal framework of prevention measures, as well as some recommendations for Vietnam.

A Legal Protection of Children as Victims of Sexual Human Right Accidents

The case of child sexual abuse continues to increase over time. Crimes of sexual violence against children are an example of the vulnerability of a child's position, especially for sexual purposes. The image of a child who has been placed as a sexual object has far-reaching implications for a child's life, so she must always face violence, coercion, and physical and psychological violence. Children have basic human rights, like adults, protection of children's rights is not many people come to think and do concrete steps. Therefore, an attempt to protect the rights of children violated by adults, families, and their own environment, even bias so its own parents (adoptive parents / stepparents) and neglect of parents who are less supervising the baby, resulting in an undesirable thing. Criminality is all forms of speech, behavior and behavior that harm society and attack the safety of citizens, both those covered by law and those not yet covered by the criminal law. In carrying out the guidance and protection of children need the role of society through institutions and organizations.

The prevalence of declarative and indirect yes/no Questions when children testify in criminal cases of child sexual abuse in the United States

SummaryThe present study assessed how attorneys questioned children in cases of child sexual abuse in the United States tried between 2005 and 2015. Trial testimonies (N = 134) of 5‐ to 17‐year‐olds (M = 12 years old) were coded for the linguistic form of attorneys' questions and children's subsequent responses. Three fourths of all questions were closed ended. Both declarative (statement question; e.g., “And he hit you?”; 21% of questions) and indirect yes/no questions (beginning with an indirect speech act; e.g., “Do you remember X?”; 11% of questions) were common, and produced potentially problematic responses, in comparison with forced‐choice and yes/no questions. Declarative questions elicited the highest rates of unelaborative responses whereas indirect yes/no questions elicited the highest rate of nonsubstantive responses. The findings highlight the importance for researchers to better assess children's responses to declarative questions and for prosecuting attorneys to cautiously use declarative and indirect yes/no questions when questioning children.