Victims Of Child Sexual Abuse Research Articles

Child Sexual Abuse Victimization Amongst Detained Adolescents and Incarcerated Young Adults: Findings from an Australian Population-Based Birth Cohort Study

ABSTRACT To guide prevention and intervention efforts, the prevalence and impact of child sexual abuse (CSA) victimization among detained and incarcerated populations requires further examination, particularly with consideration of multi-type maltreatment experiences and sex-based variations. This longitudinal population-based study explores these relationships in an Australian birth cohort comprising all individuals born in Queensland in 1983 and 1984 (n = 82,409; 48.68% female). Data include all notified and substantiated harm(s) from child protection services (0 to 17 years), and sentences to youth detention and/or adult incarceration between ages 10 and 30. Findings indicate greater prevalence of CSA amongst detained/incarcerated individuals compared to the general population but emphasize the impact of cooccurring maltreatment (particularly neglect) on the likelihood of custodial outcomes. Important sex-based differences were noted in the intersection of CSA victimization and detention/incarceration. Findings reinforce the need for trauma-informed practices when working with custodial populations, particularly females, and highlight opportunities for prevention of detention/incarceration in at-risk populations, in line with a broader public health approach to child protection.

Child Sexual Abuse Victimization and Parenting

Child Sexual Abuse Victimization and Parenting

The Value of Restitution and Diversion in the Law Enforcement of Criminal Sexual Violence Against Children

The process of shifting the criminal justice system's case resolution process for offenses involving minor sexual assault to an outside location is known as diversion. One kind of diversion is returning money to victims of child sexual abuse; nevertheless, diversion and restitution are typically used less frequently in the criminal justice system. For this study, the following question was posed: Does law enforcement adhere to the juvenile criminal justice system when it comes to enforcing diversion and providing compensation for offenses involving sexual abuse of children? The study's technique is juridical-normative and follows the law. The study's findings show that law enforcement officers at all levels still stray from advised procedures even in the face of attempts to implement diversion within the criminal justice system. In order to make diversion mandatory during police investigations, public prosecutors' prosecutions, and judicial panel trials, rules and regulations that offer legal certainty are required.

Factors affecting female external genital findings in child sexual assault victims

ABSTRACT The presence of external genital findings in child sexual assault victims is frequently not in accordance with the history of the incident acknowledged by the victims, due to many factors that can affect those findings. This study aimed to identify various factors affecting the findings of external genitalia injuries in child sexual assault victims. Clinical data were collected from medical records and then analysed statistically. Hymenal and/or non-hymenal injuries were observed in 64.2% of all subjects. Hymenal tears in all regions were significant for penile penetration. Factors affecting hymenal injuries were age group, nature of sexual violence, and number of penetrations. Factors affecting non-hymenal injuries were the nature of sexual violence and the time of examination.

An Experiment on the Press Coverage of Child Sexual Abuse: Can Readers Differentiate Between Good and Bad Reporting?

ABSTRACT News reporting on child sexual abuse (CSA) plays an important role in educating the public and fighting sexual violence, according to the public interest model of normative media theory. Bad reporting, however, is widespread and hinders a solution-oriented approach. Against this backdrop, the current study investigated which normative and subjective criteria are used by readers when they assess the quality of CSA newspaper reporting (RQ1). Furthermore, it was tested if readers can differentiate between good and bad CSA reporting quality (RQ2) and if their personal involvement in the topic—concerning victimization, exposure to CSA reporting, CSA knowledge—influences assessments of journalistic quality (RQ3). An experimental online study with a national quota sample of N = 2724 adults (18–65 years; M age  = 44.1; 52.5% women) from Germany was conducted in 2020. The study is preregistered and further materials are shared on osf.io. It turned out that readers mostly used the normative criteria to assess CSA reporting quality that are suggested by the academic literature (RQ1). Readers were able to differentiate between CSA reporting with high versus low journalistic quality (RQ2)—irrespective of their own CSA victimization (RQ3). Readers rated bad reporting as mediocre, though, indicating potential unawareness of certain quality issues.

Traumatic Experience of Victim of Child Sexual Abuse

Traumatic Experience of Victim of Child Sexual Abuse

Executive functioning in child victims of sexual abuse: A multi-informant comparative study

BackgroundResearch examining the association between child sexual abuse and executive functions is limited. Yet, exposure to traumatic situations at a young age has been associated with changes in the prefrontal cortex, which hosts executive functions (Wesarg et al., 2020). These functions are crucial for social adaptation, as they make it possible to inhibit maladaptive behavior and respond flexibly to the demands of the environment. As middle childhood is a sensitive period for the development of self-regulatory abilities, exploring executive functioning in school-age children could provide potential intervention targets (Dajani & Uddin, 2015). ObjectiveUsing multiple informants, this study compared executive functioning of sexually abused children to that of non-sexually victimized children and examined whether the differences were moderated by sex. MethodsThe sample consisted of 225, 6-to-12 years old children with a history of child sexual abuse (CSA) and 97 children without a history of CSA. Children completed two executive functioning tasks measuring cognitive flexibility and inhibition. Parents and teachers completed questionnaires evaluating children's executive functioning. ResultsIn comparison to non-abused children, children with a history of CSA displayed greater executive functioning difficulties as assessed by both informant-reported questionnaires and self-completed tasks. Significant interaction effects were found, such as CSA predicting lower inhibition and executive functions at school in boys but not in girls. ConclusionThis study is a first step in understanding the association between CSA and executive functioning and offers a clearer picture of the differential impact of sexual trauma according to children's sex.

A cross-sectional study to assess medical student’s opinions regarding child sexual abuse in an Eastern state of India

Background: Child sexual abuse (CSA) is a heinous crime against growing children, which may victimize both genders. It is a pervasive issue that affects societies worldwide. Present study was conducted to gain insights into the opinion and understanding regarding CSA among undergraduate medical students at a premier institution in Bihar, an Eastern state of India. Objectives were to study the distribution of medical students according to opinions regarding CSA and to study the distribution of medical students according to information regarding CSA obtained from parents. Methods: After obtaining institutional ethical committee (IEC) clearance, a pre-designed structured questionnaire was administered online to undergraduate medical students of the institution who gave consent for study. Collected information was entered in Microsoft excel, and categorical variables were expressed as percentages and proportions. Results: The present study included 312 boys (62.4%) and 186 girls (37.6%). The majority (82.2%) of study participants agreed that boys are also victims of CSA, and the majority (68.3%) agreed with the statement regarding informing a caregiver following an incident. Most (64%) of the study participants had obtained information regarding CSA from parents. Conclusions: Awareness generation is an important measure to curb the growing menace of CSA. Parental education plays a vital role in creating necessary awareness.

Historical child sexual abuse cases reported to the police by Indigenous adults in a northern Canadian territory: an exploration of factors affecting the likelihood of charges and convictions

ABSTRACT The current research examined historical child sexual abuse files from a northern Canadian police force, looking at factors pertaining to the offence, the complainant and the suspect, in an area with a large Indigenous population. The dataset analysed represented all reported cases (N = 229) of historical child sexual abuse by Indigenous complainants in the database of the participating force from 2005 to 2019. Analysis of all cases showed charges were more likely in cases with multiple complainants, female complainants and complainants 11–14 years old at the time of the abuse. For cases where charges were laid (n = 135), convictions were slightly more likely in cases with less serious offences. For trial cases (n = 75), multiple complainants, the relationship of suspect to complainant, age of suspect and age difference between complainant and suspect were significantly associated with trial outcome. Ethnicity of suspects showed no relationship to charges or convictions. PRACTICE IMPACT STATEMENT This research demonstrates the importance of support for all victims of historical child sexual abuse when navigating the difficult process of disclosing abuse and engaging the criminal justice process. In particular, Indigenous men may need increased access to victim services, given the finding that they are less likely to see charges and convictions at trial for their cases. Continued public education encouraging reporting of child sexual abuse, even for victims of historical crimes, is needed as cases with long delays between offence and report are just as likely to result in charges and convictions as cases with less delay.

What is Known About the Magnitude, Trend, and Risk for Child Sexual Abuse and the Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children in the United States?

ABSTRACT Many nationally representative datasets are available for assessing the magnitude, trend, and risk for child sexual victimization in the United States. Unfortunately, the disaggregation of sexual violence into more specific sex crimes and the reliable measurement of these specific acts are often avoided by researchers due to the methodological limitations of victimization data. For example, previous scholars have successfully measured the strength of the relationship between the commercial sexual exploitation of children (CSEC) and child sexual abuse (CSA) within their respective samples; however, little is known about the extent to which CSEC occurs in the larger U.S. population, irrespective of past CSA. This study presents new analyses of publicly available representative data on the incidence, trend, and risk for CSA and CSEC independent of one another. We find that significantly more is known about CSA than CSEC. In addition, while victims of CSA and CSEC share many risk factors, CSA is far more common than CSEC, and their trends are going in different directions. We find that rates of CSA and CSEC are often derived from data with significant methodological limitations, such as administrative datasets that are limited to only victimizations reported to governmental agencies or representative surveys that measure the incidence/prevalence in one year alone, not repeatedly as required to assess trends. We fill in some of the gaps existing in our analyses with a review of other studies examining CSA and CSEC, as well as discuss future directions in research that researchers and child welfare practitioners should consider.

The Complex Interplay between BDSM and Childhood Sexual Abuse: A Form of Repetition and Dissociation or a Path Toward Processing and Healing?

In this theoretical paper the authors explore the connections between BDSM (i.e., practices involving bondage, discipline, dominance, submission, sadism, masochism) and CSA (childhood sexual abuse) in order to investigate the potential unconscious mechanisms at play and the therapeutic functions of BDSM practices among CSA victims. Drawing on the embodiment framework, the authors address how BDSM may serve as a form of unconscious repetition of traumatic experiences for certain CSA victims, with the aim of processing trauma and healing. A review of the empirical evidence regarding the links between BDSM and CSA trauma, along with the potential of BDSM to trigger trauma and elicit dissociation, guilt, or shame, is conducted. Finally, BDSM practices are reviewed through the concept of trauma-play, which involves deliberate rescripting. In short, the complex relationship between BDSM and CSA is highlighted, as well as its implications for understanding and potentially addressing trauma experiences in therapy.

Les agressions sexuelles sur mineurs : bilan d’activité de l’unité de médecine légale du CHU Ibn Sina de Rabat en 2022

Introduction: Child sexual abuse is a public health problem. The challenge for the forensic doctor is to correctly interpret the forensic examination findings.Objective: To study a population of victims of child sexual abuse who consulted at the forensic medicine unit of Ibn Sina Hospital in Rabat in 2022.Material and methods: Were collected demographic data, aggression modalities and victims’ examination findings.Results: Out of 125 children, there were 92 girls and 33 boys. The median age was 14 [8;16] years old. Normal genital examinations concerned 23 (36.4%) victims who had undergone vaginal penetration. When abnormal, genital examination showed recent hymeneal tearing in 5% of cases (n = 3) and non-specific signs in the rest of the cases. Normal anal examination concerned 51.2% (n = 42) of the victims who had undergone anal penetration. When abnormal, anal examinations showed a recent anal fissure in three victims (6.97%) and non-specific signs in the rest of the cases. Clinical examinations were considered compatible with the reported facts for 32 victims (25.6%).Conclusion: In child sexual abuse, the examination is frequently normal. The lesions, if present, must be interpreted taking into account several factors (inter alia, consultation time) and, at best, by an experienced forensic doctor.

Family Climate and Personal Resilience Among Children Victims of Sexual Abuse in Abidjan

In Ivory Coast, the proportion of children victims of sexual abuse has become increasingly worrying since the post electoral crisis of 2011. This study aims to analyze the effect of family climate on the personal resilience construction of children victims of sexual abuse. It is so based on the working hypothesis that children victims of sexual abuse who benefit from a supportive family climate are more resilient than those who evolve in a non-supportive family climate. The study was conducted following a qualitative methodological approach with a descriptive aim, with 22 children of both sexes, victims of sexual abuse and aged from 06 to 13 years old. These children were selected by a reasoned choice at the Infant Guidance Center of Abidjan. They were subjected to a semi-structured interview from May 09 to August 10, 2022. The results, interpreted in the light of the theory of attachment, indicate that the family climate is decisive in the construction of personal resilience in children victims of sexual abuse. These results show the importance of raising awareness about the children sexual abuse and the need to provide support to the families of sexually abused children with a view to strengthening their capacity of resilience when facing such a serious phenomenon.

The Position of Diversion Against Victims of Child Sexual Abuse

The application of diversity by law enforcement officials is based on the authority of law enforcement officials called discretion or child discretion as the potential of the state in the context of the survival and glory of the nation, is how the government's commitment in making children superior. priority in the formation of juvenile judges and courts as the last bastion in the process of resolving children who face the law in Court. Police and communities must synergize and develop common perceptions of diversion and restorative justice. Parents must participate in providing protection to children by fulfilling children's rights, protecting children's interests and further increasing supervision of children's environments and playgrounds.

L'expérience subjective des femmes de diverses origines ethniques victimes d'agressions sexuelles intrafamiliales pendant l'enfance: Deux études de cas

IntroductionChild sexual abuse (under 18 years old) in women is a widespread problem in all communities, with many serious consequences. Although there are several studies concerning victims of sexual assault, few focuses on their experiences by taking ethnocultural aspects into account. Moreover, although internal attribution is common among victims, i.e., feelings of guilt and shame, few studies explore this aspect in victims from different ethno-cultural backgrounds. However, specific values in different cultures can influence the emotions victims feel and, thus their experiences. ObjectiveThis article aims to explore the experiences of victims of intrafamilial child sexual abuse from different ethno-cultural backgrounds. MethodTwo case studies were carried out. Data were collected through individual semi-structured interviews with two women from different ethnocultural backgrounds who were victims of intrafamilial child sexual abuse. ResultsThe results reveal some similarities between the experiences of these two volunteers, despite their diverse backgrounds, notably concerning the relationship with their mother, gender roles, cultural differences, identity issues, sexuality, feelings of shame and guilt, and consequences of sexual assault. ConclusionThis study highlights the importance of conducting more research on the subject to understand their experiences better. This will enable us to assess their needs better and provide appropriate support.

Awareness of Undergraduate Medical Students Regarding Child Sexual Abuse in Society - A Cross-Section Study

Child sexual abuse is a heinous crime of growing age children that may victimize both sexes of the child. Here, we tried to know the concerns, opinions, and understanding related to the child sexual abuse of young undergraduate students of AIIMS Patna. These students belonged to different communities, religions, and different states of India. Information was sent by mode using the google forms and was collected automatically online. linkert-type questions were given to gather the information; collected data was analyzed and reported. 81.6 % of students disagreed that only girls are sexually abused and the rest, 18.4% of respondents were not sure about the given statement. 6.0% of respondents agreed that only girls are victims of sexual abuse. There, 225 (45.0 %) of students opined that child sexual abuse boys are not homosexual, but the rest 226 (45.20) % of students, did not confirm the opinion. 100 (20%) students were neutral in opinion, whereas 49 (9.80%) students opined with disagreement with the statement means indirectly, child sexually abused boys were homosexual. Children from reputed families are not the victim of sexual abuse. 325 (65.0 %) of students disagree with the statement, 40 (8.0) % of students opine that reputed family children are not sexually abused, 27% of students were not in the stage of any opinion or either neutral or they do not know about the statement. 202 (40.4 %) of students opined that sexually abused children should not be sent to foster care, but 29 (5.8 %) of students disagreed with this opinion and suggested that they should be sent to foster care. 168 (53.60 %) participants had no conclusive opinion and 23.4 % had a neutral opinion. Opinion of the participants regarding few children being victims of sexual abuse: 137 (27.4%) agree with that statement, a significant number of participants disagreed with this statement and opined that 223 (44.6%) disagreed with the treatment, indirectly opined that a substantial number of children were the victim of child sexual abuse. The remaining 28 % of participants did not give a final opinion.

Forensic interview with child victims of sexual abuse in Turkey: The interviewer’s subjective experience

Çocuk istismarı ve ihmali dünyada milyonlarca çocuğu ve bu çocukların ailelerini etkileyen önemli bir toplumsal sorundur. Fiziksel, duygusal ya da cinsel hangi istismar türüne uğramış olursa olsun çocuk istismarına ilişkin adli süreçte, fiziksel, biyolojik ve psikolojik bulguların doğru şekilde toplanarak değerlendirilmesinin yanı sıra, mağdur çocukla yapılacak olan adli görüşmeler oldukça önemlidir. Adli görüşme, adli olaylarda mağdur ya da şüpheliye tarafsız yaklaşımla, olaya ait bilginin toplandığı, suçun ortaya çıkıp çıkmadığının araştırıldığı ve elde edilen bilginin psikolojik ve hukuki çerçevede incelendiği görüşmedir. Adli görüşme sürecinde çocuğun ifadesinin güvenilirliğinin değerlendirilmesine ilişkin hususlar, adli görüşmecilerin bilgi, beceri, deneyimleri ve ihtiyaçları, görüşme ortamı ve koşulları önemli bir konudur. Bu doğrultuda araştırmamızın amacı, nitel inceleme yoluyla adli görüşmenin yetkinlik ve etkililiğine ilişkin betimleyici bir çerçeve oluşturulmaya çalışılmasıdır. Araştırmada 3 farklı şehirden, adli görüşme deneyimi olan adli görüşmeciler seçilmiştir. Araştırmada altı adli görüşmeci ile çalışılmıştır. Adli görüşmecilerin çalışma alanları ve görüşme süreçlerine uygun olacak şekilde hazırlanmış görüşme formundan yararlanılarak görüşmecilerle yarı yapılandırılmış görüşmeler yapılmış ve görüşme kayıtları Yorumlayıcı Fenomenolojik Analiz (YFA) kullanılarak değerlendirilmiştir. Yapılan görüşmelerin incelenmesi sonucunda tekrar eden sekiz üst tema belirlenmiştir. Bu temalar; cinsel istismara uğramış çocukla adli görüşme deneyimi, zamanla adli görüşmede gerçekleşen değişim, Çocuk İzlem Merkezi çalışma sistemi, alınan eğitimin adli görüşme sürecine katkısı, adli görüşme sürecini etkileyen etmenler, görüşme yapabilme açısından kendine yönelik değerlendirmeler, adli görüşme sürecinde bölünme-yönlendirilme-tamamlama, adli görüşme alanındaki ihtiyaçlar şeklindedir. Her bir üst tema için katılımcıların söylemlerinden somut alıntılar verilmiştir. Elde edilen sonuçlar alanyazın kapsamında tartışılmıştır.

Sexual misconduct among elementary and middle school‐aged children in partial hospitalization setting

Often discussions of sexual misconduct of minors center on adult‐on‐child incidents; however, the frequency of student‐on‐student sexual misconduct has been on the rise. Sexual misconduct is defined as any conduct which is sexual in nature and is unwelcome and engaged in without consent. Sexual misconduct can include a range of behaviors including sexual harassment and unwanted touching. Recent data indicates that one‐half to three‐quarters of child sexual abuse and assault victimization experiences are committed by other children.

Surviving child sexual abuse in women's artistic gymnastics: ‘It's beautiful, because had I stayed in the past, I wouldn’t have evolved as a person’

The USA Gymnastics sex abuse scandal raised global awareness about child sexual abuse (CSA) in women's artistic gymnastics. The ensuing media coverage also centre-staged victims’ survivorship stories, a process that for many moved from dissociating, recognising and disclosing CSA to feeling comfort when connecting with survivors and accepting CSA as part of their life history. However, scholarship on what survivorship from CSA in sport entails, and importantly, what it means to athletes, is limited. In this article, we frame the survival of CSA using Arthur Frank’s socio-narratological conceptualisation of people being able to process the devastating consequences of a life-threatening and/or a life-altering event, and present the survivorship stories of two former gymnasts, Maria and Lucia (pseudonyms). For these two women, survivorship was facilitated by hearing others’ stories of sexual abuse, purposefully facing their CSA experiences and connecting with one another later in life to raise awareness about sexual abuse in sport. Thus, in addition to presenting Maria and Lucia's stories for the purpose of providing CSA victims with a survivorship narrative, we outline and reflect on the role hearing and telling stories have in CSA survivorship.

Factors associated with delayed disclosure of child sexual abuse: A focus on the victim's having been led to perform sexual acts on the perpetrator

BackgroundContextual variables associated with children's willingness to disclose sexual abuse have been identified in previous studies, but further investigation is needed to better understand delayed disclosure of child sexual abuse (CSA). ObjectivesThis study aimed to examine the factors associated with the risk of delayed disclosure of CSA. More specifically, it focused on a factor that has rarely, if ever, been looked into: the fact that some victims are led to perform sexual acts on the perpetrator. Participants and settingA content analysis was performed on 68 transcripts of investigative interviews with CSA victims aged 4 to 12 years old. MethodsBased on our content analysis, the time between the first abuse and the first disclosure was determined for each victim. The age and gender of the victim, the victim's relationship with the perpetrator, the age of the perpetrator, the frequency and severity of the abuse, and whether or not the victim mentioned having performed sexual acts on the perpetrator were also coded. ResultsChi-square analyses showed that the risk of delayed disclosure was associated with the victim's having performed, or not performed, sexual acts on the perpetrator (χ2 = 16.327, p < 0.001), the victim's relationship with the perpetrator (χ2 = 10.013, p = 0.002), and the frequency of the abuse (χ2 = 11.617, p < 0.001). ConclusionOur study is the first to demonstrate that having been led to sexually touch the perpetrator is associated with delayed disclosure of CSA.