Characteristics Of Child Sexual Abuse Research Articles

Child Sexual Abuse: Comparison of Male and Female Victims.

In the scientific literature, few authors deal with child sexual abuse (CSA) in boys. In addition, these authors debate this phenomenon in most available articles without statistically evaluating the occurrence of different or similar distributions of variables under sex. In light of the above, the authors compared multiple variables between female and male samples. The aim was to explore the characteristics of boys' CSA, identifying the main differences existing compared with the same phenomenon occurring in girls. The authors selected 2 samples for sex: group A, females; group B, males. The authors statistically compared the main variables between the 2 groups. The study yielded the following main results: the population was characterized by 607 children (476 were females-group A; 131 were males-group B); the variables' source of the referral and the type of anogenital findings were statistically significant. These data gave new insights into the CSA phenomenon. Because this study pointed out that sexual abuse does not have the same characteristics in boys and girls, researchers and safeguarding agencies should consider the abovementioned differences when planning preventive strategies against CSA.

Differential Profiles of Sexually Abused Adolescent Boys

ABSTRACT Victims of child sexual abuse (CSA) are a heterogeneous population. Several characteristics may influence the outcomes associated with this adverse childhood experience, including personal (e.g. age) and CSA characteristics (e.g. relationship to the perpetrator). This study relied on a person-centered approach to account for this heterogeneity and focused on adolescent boys, an understudied population. Data were drawn from a representative sample of high school students aged 14 to 18 years old in Quebec, Canada. A total of 3.9% (n = 138) of boys reported CSA. Various CSA characteristics (severity, relationship to the perpetrator, and number of events) were used as indicators to derive classes. A four-class solution emerged from the latent class analysis: CSA in a sports context (6%), intrafamilial CSA (8%), extrafamilial CSA (52%) and multiple CSA (34%). The multiple CSA profile included boys who were sexually abused in multiple situations by different perpetrators and who were victims of acts involving penetration. The exploration of correlates associated with class membership revealed that adolescent boys included in the multiple CSA profile were distinguished by higher rates of delinquent behaviors and alcohol and drug use. They were more likely than members of other latent classes to belong to sexual minorities. This exploratory study sheds light on sexually victimized adolescent boys and the deleterious consequences that may affect them, particularly boys who have experienced multiple CSA events. We conclude that prevention efforts should focus on the demystification of sexual trauma among boys and on using trauma-informed care approaches for adolescent externalizing behaviors.

The effect of the covid-19 pandemic on applications to the children’s advocacy center

The purpose of the study is to determine and compare the characteristics of child sexual abuse (CSA) cases who applied to the children’s advocacy center (CAC) before and during the pandemic. The population and sample of this descriptive, retrospective study consists of the files of children who came to Burdur CAC for CSA between April 1, 2019-March 31, 2020 and April 1, 2020-March 31, 2021. A total of 171 files were examined in study. Data were collected using the Data Collection Form developed by the researchers. Descriptive statistics, Chi-square test, Man Whitney U and Bonferroni tests were used for the analysis of the data. Prior to the study, permission was obtained from the Ministry of Health, Provincial Health Directorate, and Ethics Committee. The results showed that that 113 out of 171 children came to CAC before pandemic, and the number of children who came to CAC decreased during the pandemic (n=58). It was found that 60.8% of children were exposed to non-penetrative sexual abuse, and the number of sexual abuse decreased during pandemic process compared to pre-pandemic period. Regarding the characteristics of perpetrators; mean age was 32.6±16.1 years and 98.8% of them were males. It was also found that both before and during pandemic, children were mostly abused by their friends/lovers, and most of the abuse took place in home of the perpetrator. Those who reported abuse before and during pandemic were found to demonstrate statistically significant differences (p<0.001). Most of the notifications were found to be made by teachers (n=69) before pandemic, while number of teachers’ notifications decreased (n=9) during pandemic process, and the most notifications were made by mothers and fathers (n=23). In the future, it is recommended to carry out studies to determine types of CSA faced by children in digital environments before, during and after pandemic.

Sociodemographic and Clinical Characteristics of Child Sexual Abuse Reported to an Urban Public Hospital in Southern India, 2019–22

To describe the profile of child sexual abuse (CSA) reported to a tertiary care hospital. A retrospective analysis of CSA reported in children aged below 18 years from January, 2019 to June, 2022. Out of the 231 cases of sexual abuse reported, 115 (49.8%) were children below 18 years. Most of the victims were children from 10 to 15 years (37.4%), and there were only two male victims. In 89.6%, the perpetrator was known to the victim. Revictimization was seen in 31%. The reported perpetrators were friends (27%), neighbors (34.8%), strangers (10.4%), or fathers (7.8%). Penetrative abuse was seen in 58.3% of reports. External injuries were seen in 6.96%. Eight victims were pregnant and HIV screening was positive in one victim. Early identification of CSA is important to prevent revictimization. Children from all age groups can be victims of CSA. Perpetrators can hail from all walks of life of the children.

Prevalence of Child Contact Sexual Abuse in the Spanish Region of Andalusia

ABSTRACT The aim of this study was to analyze the prevalence and characteristics of child sexual abuse (CSA) in Andalusia, Spain’s most populated region. A sample of 817 adults (281 male; M age = 34.7; SD = 13.86) completed the Child Sexual Abuse Experiences Questionnaire. Because the sample was unbalanced, we performed post-stratification by gender, resulting in 562 participants (50% male). Overall, 38.8% of the sample reported at least one type of contact abuse experience, with prevalence ranging from 22% for being fondled to 3.9% for being forced to perform a sexual act involving penetration. The first episode of CSA most commonly occurred between age 6 and 11 years, except for penetration. The majority of reported experiences were repeated and perpetrated by a male. More than half of the victims did not label their experience as sexual abuse, and this apparent lack of awareness about what constitutes abuse was particularly evident among male victims. The prevalence of CSA in Andalusia is higher than for Spain as a whole, highlighting the need to raise public awareness through prevention programs.

Demographic characteristics of convicted child sexual abusers in South of Sweden, between 2013 and 2018: a pilot study

This study evaluates variables concerning demographic characteristics for all adult male offenders convicted of Child Sexual Abuse (CSA) aged 0–17 in Malmö, Sweden between 2013 and 2018. All convictions (n = 18) based on court documents from the District Court, the Court of Appeals and information from the Swedish Tax Agency were reviewed. A total of 30 victims were identified. Frequency analyses show that the most common features were that of a single offender, averaging 25 years old, with a non-Swedish background and a high school degree. The predominately extrafamilial CSA (i.e. committed by an acquaintance to the family) occurred in a private setting and consisted of penetrative acts. Girls averaging 13 years old were abused multiple times, under fear and pressure. Although assumptions based on these results are preliminary, they provide a clearer image of the typical circumstances under which CSA occurred within this time frame and geographical location. This study is a first attempt to construct an overview of demographic characteristics of CSA. As more data are gathered from this region, more sophisticated analyses can be conducted, providing stronger generalizations. Information of this kind may be important for research, classification of offender profiling and in case linking.

Sexual Self-Concept and Psychological Functioning of Women With a History of Childhood Sexual Abuse in Hong Kong

Sexual self-concept (SSC) is an important component of health that is closely associated with the well-being of survivors of child sexual abuse (CSA). Compared with non-CSA respondents, SSC of CSA survivors was deleteriously affected, resulting in ineffective psychological functioning (negative self-evaluation, psychological ill-health, and difficulties in interpersonal relationships). Negative SSC (sexual anxiety, sexual depression, and sexual fear) played a significant role in mediating the adverse effects of CSA on psychological functioning. Future studies may recruit a sample with greater variation in CSA characteristics and use externalizing problems as outcome measures to cross-validate findings of this study.

Predictors of recantation after child sexual abuse disclosure among a Brazilian sample

BackgroundRecantation after child sexual abuse (CSA) disclosure refers to the complete denial of prior reports by a victim. In substantiated cases of CSA, recantation has negative effects on criminal proceedings and the protection of current and future victims. Past studies have identified the socio-family factors and CSA characteristics that are associated with recantation. However, the systematization of these risk factors remains limited. ObjectiveThis study aimed to identify the predictors of recantation using a sample of criminal cases of CSA. Participants and settingsThe sample consisted of 108 criminal cases of CSA with (n = 46) and without recantation (n = 62). All the cases had been judged in a Brazilian court of law between 2010 and 2016. ResultsThe final logistic regression model consisted of the following five significant predictors of recantation: a lack of support from the caregiver (odds ratio [OR] = 15.90, p < .001), disclosure to a single individual (OR = 13.75, p = .001), parental offending (OR = 12.44, p = .001), a long time interval (i.e., >one week) between disclosure and the reporting of the abuse to the authorities (OR = 8.64, p = .003), and a higher number of formal interviews (OR = 1.50, p = .052). ConclusionsThe present findings underscore not only the effects of socio-family factors and the number of interviews on recantation but also the importance of examining the contexts within which previous disclosures of CSA have been made to the assessment of the risk of recantation.

Relationships Between CSA Characteristics, Waiting Time, and Psychotherapy Treatment Response.

Child sexual abuse (CSA) can cause negative outcomes on cognitive, emotional, physical, and social development of the victims. A significant amount of symptoms related to CSA can be minimized or even treated with professional interventions. Thereby, it is important to examine factors related to treatment response. This article aimed to identify the relationships between CSA characteristics (abuse form, age, relationship with the offender, context, and frequency), waiting time for psychotherapy, and treatment response. Zero-order correlation analysis and network analysis were performed. The analyses called the attention to two important aspects: victims' perception of guilt and waiting time for treatment. In conclusion, these results show that it is crucial to prioritize the development of guilt-related interventions on the treatment of CSA victims. Additionally, it also demonstrates that the immediate psychological care after the disclosure of the abuse can contribute for impact minimization of this experience on children and adolescents.

Child Sexual Abuse and Risk of Revictimization: Impact of Child Demographics, Sexual Abuse Characteristics, and Psychiatric Disorders.

Approximately half of child sexual abuse (CSA) victims report sexual revictimization later in life; however, there is limited rigorous evidence concerning factors contributing to sexual and nonsexual forms of revictimization. This article investigates the relationships between CSA and a range of revictimization experiences. It also examines the role of other individual-level factors (demographics, CSA characteristics, psychiatric disorders) in the risk of revictimization. The study compares data from a prospective-longitudinal study of 2,759 Australian children (<17 years old) alleged to have experienced contact-CSA between 1964 and 1995, and a comparison group matched on sex and age. In each case, CSA was deemed likely to have occurred according to expert forensic medical opinion. Abused children and comparisons were followed to age 35 years on average, and their lifetime official crime victimization histories and public mental health service records were extracted from statewide population-level administrative databases. Relative to comparisons, CSA victims experienced significantly higher rates of revictimization, with marked elevations in odds for interpersonal revictimization (i.e., sexual assault, physical assault, threats of violence, and stalking). The CSA-physical assault relationship was moderated by sex, with a stronger association for female victims. Among CSA victims, victim sex, age at index abuse, and several psychiatric diagnostic categories were independently associated with revictimization risk, with different patterns of vulnerability emerging depending on the nature of revictimization. Overall, CSA victims are vulnerable to a range of revictimization experiences later in life. Findings have implications for the identification of particular groups of sexually abused children at heightened risk for revictimization and the role mental health services may play in mitigating risk.

Importance of telling the unutterable: Alexithymia among sexually abused children

Child maltreatment is known to be an etiological factor for developing alexithymia which refers to the difficulty to identify and express feelings. Yet, scarce data is available regarding the vulnerability in child victims of sexual abuse to develop alexithymia. The current study aimed to compare level of alexithymia among a sample of school-aged victims of child sexual abuse (CSA) and a comparison group of non-victimized children. Results also investigated the mediational role of alexithymia in the association between CSA and both internalized and externalized behavior problems. The sample involved 429 sexually abused and 98 non-abused children aged 6 to 12 years old and their parents. The Children's Alexithymia Measure (Way et al., 2010) and the Child Behavior Checklist (Achenbach and Rescorla, 2001) were completed by parents. Clinicians filled out an adapted version of the History of Victimization Form to assess CSA characteristics (Hébert and Cyr, 2010). Analyses revealed that victims of CSA presented significantly higher levels of alexithymia compared to their non-abused counterparts. Results also highlighted the role of alexithymia mediating the association between CSA and both internalized and externalized behavior problems. Focussing on alexithymia is a promising avenue to sustain resilience and prevent further difficulties in sexually abused children.

Child Sexual Abuse and Suicidal Ideation: The Differential Role of Attachment and Emotional Security in the Family System.

The objective of this study was to analyze the effects of attachment style and emotional security in the family system on suicidal ideation in a sample of young adult female victims of child sexual abuse (CSA). The possible effects of CSA characteristics and other types of child abuse on suicidal ideation were controlled for. The sample consisted of 188 female college students who had been victims of sexual abuse before the age of 18, as well as 188 randomly selected participants who had not experienced CSA. The results showed that both attachment and emotional security were associated with suicidal ideation, even when controlling for both the characteristics of abuse and the existence of other abuses. The strong relationships of emotional security and attachment style with suicidal ideation suggest the importance of early intervention with children who have been sexually abused and their families, in an effort to optimize their attachment style, as well as to decrease emotional insecurity to prevent the onset of symptomatology related to suicidal ideation.

Child Sexual Abuse: the Detrimental Impact of its Specific Features

Child sexual abuse (CSA) has been linked to several negative psychosocial outcomes in its victims throughout life. However, the specific impact of different features of CSA has not been sufficiently studied. This research addressed: 1) the impact of CSA on psychosocial outcomes in young adulthood; and 2) the differential effect of a wide range of CSA features (such as, victim’s gender, age of onset, penetration occurrence, victim-offender relationship, number of offenders and use of force) in deviant behavior and psychopathological symptoms, in male and female victims. Our sample comprised 617 young adults and data was collected using the ACE Study Questionnaire, the Deviant Behavior Variety Scale and the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale. Pearson correlations, point-biserial correlations were used to test the associations between CSA and indicators of psychopathological symptoms and deviant behavior. We then analyzed CSA’s capacity to predict these outcomes using multiple linear regressions. Afterwards, participants who were identified as victims of CSA (n = 76) were selected and we carried out separate analyses for males and females using point-biserial correlations and calculating Cohen’s d effect size. Our findings not only support the hypothesis that CSA is associated with negative psychosocial outcomes in young adulthood, but also suggest that some specific features of CSA are positively associated with psychopathological symptoms and/or deviant behavior (e.g., age of onset, victim-perpetrator relationship). Furthermore, gender differences were found in the pattern of these associations. This research strengthens the scientific evidence concerning the potential clinical benefits of exploring the effect of specific characteristics of CSA.

Personality Disorders in Adult Female Child Sexual Abuse Survivors: Dimensions of Personality Pathology and Characteristics of Abuse

The relationship between child sexual abuse (CSA) and later personality disorders (PDs) has been established in numerous studies. However, there are still a number of uncertainties about the specifics of this association. This study further explored the child sexual abuse survivors' (CSASs) vulnerability to PDs by introducing the variable of personality organization (PO) and dimensions of personality pathology as conceptualized by Kernberg, and by including additional variables of CSA characteristics. It was hypothesized that in the CSA group, the occurrence of borderline personality organization (BPO) would be significantly higher than in the non-CSA group and that characteristics of abuse associated with its higher severity would prevail in individuals with BPO. The study group consisted of 329 women who completed measures of PO and experiences of CSA. The results were consistent with formulated hypotheses. Significantly more CSASs than those who did not experience CSA were characterized by close to BPO (cBPO). Moreover, CSASs group differed from the group without the CSA experience with regard to all BPO dimensions. The biggest difference between the CSA and the control group concerned the dimension referring to the difficulties in creating close, intimate relationships. With regard to CSA features, women characterized by cBPO, in contrast to those characterized by neurotic personality organization (NPO), significantly more often reported having experienced CSA more than once, involving physical contact, from more than one offender and from the offender they previously known. The findings of the study support the idea that the optimal treatment approach for CSASs should address both the personality structure and the specificity of the impact of CSA along with its characteristics.

Childhood sexual abuse characteristics, abuse stress, and PTSS: Ties to sexual behavior problems

BackgroundSexual behavior problems (SBPs) are present in a subset of sexually abused children and are associated with more severe childhood sexual abuse (CSA) experiences; however, few studies have investigated abuse characteristics and SBPs. Children’s reports of abuse stressors have not been previously examined and may provide novel information. Posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) have also been linked with SBPs but have not been consistently accounted for in prior studies, which may obscure the true relationships between abuse characteristics and stressors with SBPs. Moreover, the term SBP consists of a range of behaviors, including interpersonally-focused SBPs (ISBPs), and the relationships between abuse characteristics and stressors may differ in the context of ISBPs. ObjectiveThe present study determined whether caregiver-reported abuse characteristics, child-reported abuse stressors, and PTSS, were associated with both SBPs and ISBPs. Participants and settingTwo-hundred and fifty-four sexually abused children (ages 2–12; M = 7.69, SD = 2.67; 58.7 % female; 52.8 % white) participated in the study. ResultsChild- and caregiver-reported level of PTSS were related to SBPs, and trends were noted for greater caregiver-reported abuse severity and child-reported abuse-related stressors. When ISBPs were examined, boys, younger children, greater CSA severity, and higher levels of PTSS were associated with higher levels of ISBPs. ConclusionsLevel of PTSS may be important in identifying children at risk for SBPs and ISBPs, and CSA severity may be more relevant in the development or maintenance of ISBPs specifically.

Parents' Knowledge, Attitudes, and Experiences in Child Sexual Abuse Prevention in El Salvador.

Childhood sexual abuse (CSA), a global public health problem, is often underreported especially in low-income countries such as El Salvador, and prevention efforts are needed. The purpose of this study was to examine knowledge, attitudes and experiences of CSA prevention and characteristics related to greater knowledge and openness to engaging in child abuse prevention among Salvadoran parents. Salvadoran parents (N = 478) completed questionnaires regarding demographics, definition and signs and symptoms of child abuse, personal experiences of CSA, CSA prevention training, and knowledge, attitudes and practices about preventing CSA. Most parents were knowledgeable about CSA, viewed CSA prevention as their responsibility, and had talked with their children about CSA, although 65.7% incorrectly believed that children are more likely to be abused by strangers. Parents with lower income were less knowledgeable and willing to participate in CSA prevention. CSA programing needs to involve parents and specifically target low-income parents.

Posttraumatic cognitions, childhood sexual abuse characteristics, and posttraumatic stress disorder in men who have sex with men

BackgroundHigh rates of experience of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) among in men who have sex with men (MSM) place this population at increased risk for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). ObjectiveThis study explores how specific characteristics of CSA relate to posttraumatic cognitions (PTCs) and explores the role that specific PTCs play in the relationship between CSA and PTSD in MSM. MethodsTwo-hundred and ninety MSM completed a CSA interview, the Davidson Trauma Scale, and the Posttraumatic Cognitions Inventory. ResultsControlling for sociodemographic factors, CSA involving physical injury and CSA with intense fear were associated with higher levels of PTCs about the self and world, but not with self-blame. We did not find significant associations for CSA involving a family member, CSA with penetration, or duration or frequency of CSA with any subscale on the PTCI. Experiencing CSA for the first time during adolescence was associated with higher self-blame. Analyses revealed that physical injury and intense fear each had indirect effects on PTSD symptoms through negative cognitions about the self and world. First CSA episode during adolescence had an indirect effect on PTSD symptoms through self-blame. CSAs accounted for 16.7% and PTCs accounted for 31.7% of the variance in PTSD, underlining the importance of PTCs. ConclusionsAssessing for physical injury, intense fear, and age at first CSA are particularly relevant to PTCs and of critical importance to advancing assessment and treatment strategies for PTSD in MSM.

Children’s Coping Following Sexual Abuse: The Roles of Abuse Characteristics, Abuse Stress, and Maternal Support

Although the use of coping strategies is recognized as playing a vital role in predicting the development of trauma-related symptoms, little research has identified what factors may contribute to the utilization, and perceived efficacy of, coping strategies following childhood sexual abuse (CSA). Research has not determined whether aspects of the CSA (e.g., duration, severity) and CSA-related factors such as abuse stressors (e.g., coercion, threats), abuse-related events (e.g., familial disruptions, legal system involvement), and maternal emotional support and blame/doubt correspond with children’s coping use and perceived effectiveness. The current study investigated whether CSA characteristics, abuse stress, and maternal support were related to children’s utilization and perceived efficacy of active/social, internalized, angry, and avoidant coping strategies among 141 sexually abused children aged 7–12 (M= 9.72, SD= 1.50). Children used nearly 7 types of coping strategies (M= 6.71, SD = 1.63). Longer CSA duration was associated with utilization of internalized and avoidant coping, and maternal blame/doubt predicted the use of avoidant coping. Girls utilized angry coping more frequently than boys. CSA characteristics and abuse stress were largely unrelated to children’s perceived coping efficacy. Minority children reported higher levels of perceived efficacy of internalized strategies than white children. CSA duration may be important in understanding children’s utilization of internalized and avoidant coping strategies and maternal blame/doubt may be related to children’s use of avoidant coping. However, CSA characteristics and abuse stress may ultimately have little bearing on sexually abused children’s use and perceived efficacy of coping strategies.

Characteristics associated with depression and post-traumatic stress disorder among childhood sexual abuse women

A significant proportion of childhood sexual abuse victims suffer from psychological sequelae in adulthood. Factors that provide a better understanding for the reasons why some victims develop these sequelae remain under-explored. In this context, the main objective is to examine the specific contribution of the contextual characteristics of childhood sexual abuse, multitype childhood maltreatment and adolescent suicide attempts on the development of depression and post-traumatic stress disorder in adulthood among sexually abused women as children. A secondary objective aimed to establish the prevalence of various forms of childhood maltreatment, adult onset post-traumatic stress disorder and depression among those women. The sample included 479 women victims of childhood sexual abuse who participated in two separate surveys taken by women in the province of Quebec. More than half of these women reported at least one other form of childhood maltreatment, 30% of them presented post-traumatic disorder and 40% suffered from depression in adulthood. Regression analysis indicates that post-traumatic stress disorder was associated with early onset childhood sexual abuse and intergenerational continuity of sexual victimization, as well as childhood physical maltreatment and negligence. Depression was associated with childhood psychological maltreatment and negligence, a non-supportive response following child sexual abuse related disclosure and suicide attempt in adolescence. These results confirm the need to consider the cumulative effects of various childhood adversity factors in the psychosocial assessment of sexually abused women in early life, thus helping to better understand and treat their psychological sequelae.

The Prevalence of Child Sexual Abuse among Slovak Late Adolescents

ABSTRACTThe present study aimed to assess the prevalence and characteristics of child sexual abuse (CSA) in a large-scale sample of Slovak late adolescents. Randomized cluster sampling was used to sample 2186 students in their final school year of secondary school with mean age of 18.6 years (SD = .7 years). The study employed the Child Sexual Abuse Questionnaire consisting of multiple behavior-specific questions. The prevalence of CSA was analyzed separately for three clusters of CSA and gender. The prevalence of non-contact forms of CSA was 40.6% among girls and 17.7% among boys. CSA with physical contact without penetration was reported by 30.2% girls and 11.6% boys. The prevalence of CSA with penetration was 5.6% among girls and 1.3% among boys. More than half of CSA occurred between 16 and 18 years of age. The severity of abuse was positively associated with acquaintance to the perpetrator. Roughly 43–56% disclosed the abuse to another person. The majority of disclosed CSA was revealed to peers and partners. A negligible proportion of CSA instances were reported to the police. Prevention activities should consider a broad spectrum of CSA in order to counteract tendencies to associate CSA only with unwanted sexual intercourse.