Sexual abuse, antisocial behaviour and substance use: gender differences in young community adolescents

Objective: To investigate gender-specific relationships between self-reported sexual abuse, antisocial behaviour and substance use in a large community sample of adolescents. Method: A cross-sectional study of students aged, on average, 13 (n = 2596), 14 (n = 2475) and 15 years (n = 2290), from 27 schools in South Australia with a questionnaire including sexual abuse, frequency and severity of substance use, depressive symptomatology (CES-D), family functioning (McMaster Family Assessment Device), and antisocial behaviour (an adapted 22-item Self-Report Delinquency Scale). Logistic regression analyses using HLM V5.05 with a population-average model were conducted. Results: In the model considered, reported sexual abuse is significantly independently associated with antisocial behaviour, controlling for confounding factors of depressive symptomatology and family dysfunction, with increased risks of three- to eightfold for sexually abused boys, and two- to threefold for sexually abused girls, compared to nonabused. Increased risks of extreme substance use in sexually abused girls (age 13) and boys (ages 13-15) are more than fourfold, compared to nonabused. Age differences were not statistically significant. Conclusion: Childhood sexual abuse is a risk factor for the development of antisocial behaviour and substance use in young adolescents. Clinicians should be aware of gender differences.

Sexual abuse and suicidality: gender differences in a large community sample of adolescents

Objective: A cross-sectional study of gender specific relationships between self-reported child sexual abuse and suicidality in a community sample of adolescents. Method: Students aged 14 years on average (N = 2,485) from 27 schools in South Australia completed a questionnaire including items on sexual abuse and suicidality, and measures of depression (Centre for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale), hopelessness (Beck Hopelessness Scale), and family functioning (McMaster Family Assessment Device General Functioning Subscale). Data analysis included logistic regression. Results: In boys, self-report sexual abuse is strongly and independently associated with suicidal thoughts, plans, threats, deliberate self-injury, and suicide attempts, after controlling for current levels of depression, hopelessness, and family dysfunction. In girls, the relationship between sexual abuse and suicidality is mediated fully by depression, hopelessness, and family dysfunction. Girls who report current high distress about sexual abuse, however, have a threefold increased risk of suicidal thoughts and plans, compared to non-abused girls. Boys who report current high distress about sexual abuse have 10-fold increased risk for suicidal plans and threats, and 15-fold increased risk for suicide attempts, compared to non-abused boys. Fifty-five percent (n = 15) of sexually abused boys attempted suicide versus 29% (n = 17) girls. Conclusions: A history of sexual abuse should alert clinicians, professionals and caters in contact with adolescents, to greatly increased risks of suicidal behavior and attempts in boys, even in the absence of depression and hopelessness. Distress following sexual abuse, along with depression and hopelessness indicate increased risk of suicidal behavior in girls, as well as boys. (C) 2004 Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Child Sexual Exploitation in Northern Ireland Report of the Independent Inquiry (PDF 2.73MB)

Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE), led by Kathleen Marshall In September 2013, a Ministerial Summit was held on the theme of child sexual exploitation (CSE) in Northern Ireland. The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) referred to Operation Owl, an investigation of allegations of CSE in Northern Ireland, which had resulted in a number of adults being interviewed and some being arrested. Two weeks later, the then Minister for Health, Social Services and Public Safety, Edwin Poots, announced three actions to address this issue: an ongoing PSNI investigation focusing on 22 children and young people; a thematic review of these cases by the Safeguarding Board for Northern Ireland (SBNI); and an independent, expert-led inquiry into CSE in Northern Ireland, to be commissioned by the Minister for Health, Social Services and Public Safety and the Minister of Justice. The Minister for Education agreed that the Education and Training Inspectorate (ETI) would enjoin the Inquiry in relation to schools and the effectiveness of the statutory curriculum with respect to CSE. The Inquiry was to focus on both children and young people living at home in the community and those living in care. This is an executive summary of the report of this Inquiry.    

Positive mental health in adults reporting sexual abuse in childhood

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether a history of child sexual abuse can impact Positive Mental Health in Canadian adults and how frequency of child sexual abuse as well as perceived social support impact Positive Mental Health scores for this population. Data was collected from the Canadian Community Health Survey- Mental Health 2012 and included a sample of 20,529 adults aged 18 and older, living across ten provinces. A one-way ANOVA showed a significant difference between Positive Mental Health scores for individuals reporting a history of child sexual abuse compared to those reporting no history of child sexual abuse. A regression analysis found that reported frequency of child sexual abuse did not significantly impact Positive Mental Health scores for individuals reporting child sexual abuse. It also found that perception of social support was positively related to Positive Mental Health scores and accounted for 25% of the variance in Positive Mental Health scores for individuals reporting child sexual abuse. The implications of these findings are discussed in this study.

Les pratiques parentales maternelles et la symptomatologie des enfants victimes d’agression sexuelle d’âge préscolaire

Les enfants victimes d’agression sexuelle (AS) peuvent présenter divers problèmes psychologiques (Beitchman, Zucker, Hood, DaCosta et al., 1991; Briere & Elliott, 1994). Ces difficultés peuvent d’ailleurs perdurer jusqu’à l’âge adulte (Putnam, 2003). Afin de favoriser le rétablissement de ces enfants et prévenir le cycle intergénérationnel de la maltraitance sexuelle, il est important de s’intéresser aux facteurs de protection pouvant diminuer leurs séquelles. Les pratiques parentales représentent un facteur clé dans le développement de l’enfant de façon générale (Campbell, 1995) et peuvent jouer un rôle important dans la capacité des victimes à s’adapter à l’AS qu’elles ont subie (Ullman, 2003; Yancey & Hansen, 2010). Des pratiques parentales moins étudiées dans ce domaine de recherche ont été examinées dans la présente étude, soit le contrôle psychologique (CP), le contrôle limitatif (CL) et le soutien de l’autonomie (SA). Par ailleurs, l’évaluation des variables pouvant être liées à la conduite parentale et des impacts de celle-ci sur le développement de l’enfant permettra de mieux comprendre les difficultés que peuvent présenter ces familles et d’intevenir adéquatement auprès de celles-ci. Les objectifs de cette thèse étaient : 1) de valider une grille de codification des comportements parentaux auprès d’enfants d’âge préscolaire, 2) de documenter le lien entre le CP, le CL, un concept que nous avons proposé dans la présente étude, et le SA afin de clarifier des incohérences conceptuelles et des failles méthodologiques notées dans les études passées, 3) de comparer les pratiques parentales de mères d’enfants victimes d’AS avec celles de mères dont l’enfant n’a pas vécu d’AS, 4) d’examiner le lien entre les mauvais traitements et les événements traumatiques subis par les mères, leur détresse psychologique et leurs pratiques parentales et 5) d’évaluer la relation entre les pratiques parentales et l’adaptation psychologique des enfants de l’échantillon. Un échantillon formé de 22 enfants d’âge préscolaire victimes d’AS recrutés au Centre d’expertise Marie-Vincent (CEMV) et de 79 enfants n’ayant pas vécu un tel événement recrutés dans des Centres de la petite enfance (CPE) de milieux défavorisés de Montréal, de même que leurs mères, a participé à l’étude. La détresse psychologique des mères, les mauvais traitements subis dans leur l’enfance, les expériences traumatiques vécues avant et après 18 ans et les comportements inductifs et coercitifs ont été mesurés à l’aide de questionnaires auto-rapportés par la mère. Les mères et les éducateurs-trices de garderie ont aussi complété un questionnaire sur la symptomatologie de l’enfant. Finalement, une grille de codification des comportements parentaux a permis de mesurer les pratiques des mères et ce, lors d’une procédure d’observation. Les résultats démontrent que la grille élaborée présente des qualités psychométriques satisfaisantes. Par ailleurs, les corrélations entre les échelles principales de la grille de même que les résultats de l’analyse factorielle révèlent que le CP, le CL et le SA constituent des construits indépendants, tel que prévu. La comparaison des comportements maternels montre que les mères d’enfants victimes d’AS présentent des pratiques similaires à celles des mères dont l’enfant n’a pas subi d’AS. De plus, des liens ont été obtenus entre les expériences traumatiques et les mauvais traitements passés de la mère, sa détresse psychologique et les pratiques qu’elle adopte envers son enfant. Finalement, l’utilisation de stratégies inductives est associée marginalement à moins de troubles extériorisés chez l’enfant alors que l’utilisation de stratégies coercitives est reliée à plus de troubles intériorisés, selon l’éducateur-trice de l’enfant. Afin d’augmenter les possibilités que l’enfant se développe de façon optimale et de prévenir la transmission intergénérationnelle des mauvais traitements sexuels, il est important de comprendre le fonctionnement et les pratiques parentales des mères non-agresseurs. Les résultats de cette étude ont permis de mieux documenter la conduite des mères d’enfants victimes d’AS. Par ailleurs, des explications sont proposées concernant les facteurs distincts associés à l’utilisation d’une conduite centrée sur l’enfant (inductive) versus sur le parent (coercitive). L’identification de ceux-ci peut permettre une prévention et une intervention plus adéquate auprès de ces familles et est d’autant plus cruciale compte tenu de l’impact négatif de certaines pratiques sur l’adaptation de l’enfant, tel que démontré dans la présente recherche.

Entrevues auprès d’enfants qui dévoilent une agression sexuelle : examen du processus d’enquête et du parcours judiciaire des dossiers

Cette étude a été rendue possible grâce aux bourses doctorales accordées à la première auteure par les organismes suivants : le Conseil de recherche en sciences humaines (CRSH), la Chaire interuniversitaire Marie-Vincent sur les agressions sexuelles envers les enfants (CIMV), l’Équipe violence sexuelle et santé (ÉVISSA) et le Centre de recherche interdisciplinaire sur les problèmes conjugaux et les agressions sexuelles (CRIPCAS). Cette étude a également été soutenue par une subvention de recherche accordée par le Bureau d’aide aux victimes d’actes criminelle (BAVAC) du ministère de la justice du Québec accordée à Mireille Cyr.

Rape protocol and child interview techniques : a basic guide for professionals who deal with adult and child victims of sexual abuse.

Jointly funded by ILEC Grant no. 2437 & 2915 and the Chicago Community Trust.

Victims Speak: Comparing Child Sexual Abusers and Their Victims Accounts of Offence Circumstances

This article presents findings from a longitudinal study. The research aimed to explore the effectiveness of a treatment program for offenders which lasted for three years. The research design was structured around the program with interviews and psychometric testing undertaken at key points in time with the same group of respondents. View all notes that sought to evaluate a treatment program for child sexual abusers. A triangulated methodological approach was adopted drawing upon quantitative and qualitative methodological techniques. The focus here is upon one element of this research. 2 2The quantitative element of this research will be published shortly but is referred to in the following reports Davidson 2000, 2003 [research funded by the National Probation Service]. Psychometric testing was undertaken over a four-year period with the men attending the treatment program to explore shifts in the extent of denial, blame attribution, and victim empathy over time. Offender cognitive distortions, general health, and self-esteem were also explored via psychometric testing. An interview-administered survey was undertaken with all sex offenders registered with the Probation Service (those on probation and in custody) in order to gather demographic data, and 117 of 150 offenders responded. View all notes Ninety-one in-depth interviews were conducted over a four-year period with a small, nonrandom sample of twenty-one male offenders who had been convicted of sexual offenses against children. All of the men were subject to probation orders with a psychiatric condition (Criminal Justice Act, 1991). One of the aims of this element of the research was to explore the extent to which evidence of denial could be found in offenders’ accounts of offense circumstance and also to explore the extent to which offenders minimized the nature and extent of abuse perpetrated. Offenders’ accounts of offense circumstances were compared to victim statements, and stark differences emerge. These findings have considerable implications for treatment practice with sex offenders, where victims’ perceptions could be used to directly confront offender denial and minimization.

The Quality of Spousal Social Support as a Moderator of the Associations Between Child Maltreatment Severity and Adult Trauma Symptoms

Child maltreatment has been linked to a myriad of long-term difficulties, including trauma symptomatology. However, not all victims experience long-term distress. Thus, a burgeoning area of research focuses on factors that may impede or facilitate resiliency to the psychological correlates of child maltreatment. Specifically, the severity of the abusive acts may be associated with greater long-term difficulties. To date, however, with the exception of child sexual abuse, few studies have examined the severity of maltreatment as a risk factor in the development of trauma symptoms. In contrast, social support has been theorized to contribute to resiliency following abuse. However, to date, the majority of studies examining positive social support as a protective factor have relied on self-report measures of perceived social support, rather than observational measures of received social support. Moreover, no study to date has examined the role that negative social support (i.e, blaming, criticizing) may play in potentiating trauma symptoms among victims of child maltreatment. Because child maltreatment involves serious boundary violations by a trusted person, a marital relationship is an important domain in which to examine these constructs. That is, it may serve as an arena for the manifestation of psychological disturbances related to maltreatment. Thus, the present study examined whether observationally measured positive and negative spousal social support moderated the relationship between child maltreatment severity (i.e., sexual, physical, psychological abuse; neglect) and trauma symptomatology in women and men. Results indicated that the severity of each type of child maltreatment significantly predicted increased adult trauma symptomatology. Contrary to hypothesized outcomes, positive spousal social support did not predict decreased trauma symptomatology. However, negative spousal social support generally did predict increased trauma symptomatology. There were no consistent patterns of interactions between child maltreatment severity and either type of social support. Future directions for research will be discussed and clinical implications with regard to the intrapersonal and interpersonal functioning of child maltreatment victims will be highlighted.

Sh-h-h-h : representations of perpetrators of sexual child abuse in picturebooks

Children’s picturebooks dealing with the topic of child sexual abuse first appeared in the early 1980s with the aim of addressing the need for age-appropriate texts to teach sexual abuse prevention concepts and to provide support for young children who may be at risk of or have already experienced sexual abuse. Despite the apparent potential of children’s picturebooks to convey child sexual abuse prevention concepts, very few studies have addressed the topic of child sexual abuse in children’s literature. Based on a larger study of 60 picturebooks about sexual child abuse published over the past 25 years, this paper critically examines eight picturebook representations of the perpetrators of sexual child abuse as a way to understand how potentially dangerous adults are explained to the young readers of these texts.

Prevalence of childhood sexual abuse among 2508 college students in 6 provinces of China [中国6省市2508名大学生儿童期性虐待经历回顾性调查]

OBJECTIVE To assess the prevalence of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) in college students and to explore the association of CSA with youth mental health problem. METHODS A retrospective survey was conducted among 2508 students (females 1360, males 1148) in Nov. 2003 to Mar. 2004. The students were from 6 colleges/universities in Beijing, Hebei, Shanxi, Jiangsu, Shaanxi and Anhui provinces of China. RESULTS Of the 2508 students, 24.8% of females and 17.6% of males reported one or more types of nonphysical contact CSA (females 20.0% vs. males 14.6%) or/and physical contact CSA (females 14.1% vs. males 7.8%) before the age of 16 years. Risk of any CSA was not associated with the existence of siblings (one-child vs. two-or more child families), rural/non-rural residence during childhood, or parental education. Compared with their peers who had no CSA, the students with CSA showed significantly higher mean scores of psychological symptoms of somatization, obsessiveness, interpersonal sensitivity, depression, anxiety, hostility, phobic anxiety, paranoid ideation and psychoticism. CONCLUSION The problem of CSA was not uncommon and there was a significant correlation between CSA experience and students mental health problems. More attention should be paid on CSA prevention and provision of health services for the victims.

The “Centre for Child Protection” of the Gregorian University/Rome. First experiences, results and reflections in setting up a global e-learning-program for the prevention of sexual abuse of minors

Resumen: El Centro para la Protección Infantil ha sido fundado en cooperación con el Instituto de Psicología de la Universidad Gregoriana (Roma, Italia), el Departamento para la Psiquiatría/Psicoterapia Infantil y Adolescente del Hospital de la Universidad de Ulm (Alemania) y la Arquidiócesis de Múnich (Alemania). Su tarea principal es la creación de un centro global de entrenamiento e-learning para profesiones de pastoral que respondan al abuso sexual de los menores, tomando en consideración asuntos multilingüísticos e interculturales. Dentro de tres años el Centro desarrollado e implementado un programa e-learning en cuatro lenguas. Ocho socios del proyecto internacional asumen un papel en el reclutamiento de participantes y en la evaluación en curso del programa. En esta fase, personas-test son incluidas en el desarrollo y la evaluación del programa, como parte de la formación (en curso) de sacerdotes y de otros coagentes de pastoral

People believe it is plausible to have forgotten memories of childhood sexual abuse.

Pezdek, Blandon-Gitlin, and Gabbay (2006) found that perceptions of the plausibility of events increase the likelihood that imagination may induce false memories of those events. Using a survey conducted by Gallup, we asked a large sample of the general population how plausible it would be for a person with longstanding emotional problems and a need for psychotherapy to be a victim of childhood sexual abuse, even though the person could not remember the abuse. Only 18% indicated that it was implausible or very implausible, whereas 67% indicated that such an occurrence was either plausible or very plausible. Combined with Pezdek et al.s' findings, and counter to their conclusions, our findings imply that there is a substantial danger of inducing false memories of childhood sexual abuse through imagination in psychotherapy.

Sexual offences against children: An exploration of attrition in the Northern Ireland criminal justice system

Objective: This paper uses data provided by the Police Service for Northern Ireland (PSNI) to compare the characteristics and outcomes of reported sexual offences involving child and adult victims and explore the factors associated with case outcomes.
Method: PSNI provided data on 8,789 sexual offences recorded between April 2001 and March 2006. Case outcomes were based on whether a case was recorded by police as having sufficient evidence to summons, charge, or caution an offender (detected). Where an offender was summonsed, charged, or cautioned, this is classified as detection with a formal sanction. A case can also be classified as "detected" without a formal sanction. The analysis focused on two key categories of detection without formal sanction: cases in which the police deem there to be sufficient evidence to charge an offender but took no further action because the victim did not wish to prosecute, or because the police or the Public Prosecution Service (PPS) decided that no useful purpose would be served by proceeding.
Results: The analysis confirmed that the characteristics of recorded sexual offences involving adult and child victims vary significantly according to gender, offence type, the timing of report and victim-offender relationship. Almost half of child sex abuse cases are not detected by police and a quarter do not proceed through the criminal justice system because either the victim declines to prosecute or the Police/PPS decide not to proceed. Only one in five child cases involved detection with a formal sanction. Child groups with lower detection with formal sanction rates included children under 5, teenagers, those who do not report when the abuse occurs but disclose at a later date; and those who experience abuse at the hands of peers and adults known to them but not related. The analysis also highlighted variation in formal sanction rates depending on where the offence was reported.
Conclusions: Consideration needs to be given to improving the criminal justice response to specific child groups as well as monitoring detection rates in different police areas in order to address potential practice variation.
Practice implications: Consideration needs to be given to improving the professional response in relation to with particularly lower detection with formal sanction rates. There is also a need to monitor case outcomes to ensure that child victims in different areas receive a similar service.

In Demand: Therapeutic Services for Children and Young People Who Have Experienced Sexual Abuse

This paper describes the key findings of an NSPCC study estimating need, in the UK, for therapeutic services for children who have experienced sexual abuse. This is based upon current estimates of the prevalence and impact of sexual abuse towards children and young people against the availability of therapeutic services in the UK. Data were collected on service location, availability, scope and coverage across England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland. Researchers: (1) mapped 508 services; (2) collected data from 195 services via a structured questionnaire; (3) followed up 21 service managers and 11 service commissioners with a semi-structured interview; and (4) carried out two focus groups with young people. Data were collected on service location, availability, scope and coverage The overall level of specialist provision is low, with less than one service available per 10 000 children and young people in the UK. Calculations of need indicate that 57 156 children across the UK in the last year may have been unable to access a service. Findings from services support the view that need outstrips availability; that referral routes are limited, leaving few options for young people who have been raped or seriously sexually assaulted to directly access support; that significant waiting lists mean services must focus on reactive, rather than preventive, work; and that services are less accessible for certain groups, especially sexually abused teenagers, children with disabilities and those from Black, Asian, Minority Ethnic and Refugee backgrounds. Copyright (c) 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Key Practitioner Messages Relevant professionals must be adequately trained to talk to children about sexual abuse and to identify those vulnerable in order to identify need. Expert specialist services are well placed to share learning on early help and identification with broader children's service providers. Active steps need to be taken by commissioners in consultation with young people, voluntary sector and adult sexual violence service providers to meet the shortfall at the level of local authorities.