Factors associated with divorce in intrafamily child sexual abuse cases

This study analyzes factors related to the decision to divorce in intrafamilial sexual abuse cases. Data was collected on 128 cases of incest in St. Louis, Missouri, through the Washington University Child Guidance Center. Examination of multiple variables revealed there are differences between child sexual abuse cases that elect to stay together vs. those that divorce subsequent to the discovery of abuse. Families that broke up were more likely to have young child victims and have additional problems with domestic violence. The child was more likely to have revealed the abuse to the mother and have been believed by her in divorcing cases.     

Gender differences in social reactions to abuse disclosures, post-abuse coping, and PTSD of child sexual abuse survivors

OBJECTIVE:This research examines the understudied issue of gender differences in disclosure, social reactions, post-abuse coping, and PTSD of adult survivors of child sexual abuse (CSA). METHOD:Data were collected on a cross-sectional convenience sample of 733 college students completing a confidential survey about their demographic characteristics, sexual abuse experiences, disclosure characteristics, post-abuse coping, and social reactions from others. RESULTS:Female students reported greater prevalence and severity of CSA, more distress and self-blame immediately post-assault, and greater reliance on coping strategies of withdrawal and trying to forget than male students. Women were more likely to have disclosed their abuse to others, to have received positive reactions, and to report greater PTSD symptom severity, but were no more likely to receive negative reactions upon disclosure than men. Women delaying disclosure had greater PTSD symptom severity, whereas men's symptoms did not vary by timing of disclosure. Additional regression analyses examined predictors of PTSD symptom severity and negative and positive social reactions to abuse disclosures. CONCLUSIONS:Several gender differences were observed in this sample of college students in terms of sexual abuse experiences, psychological symptoms, coping, PTSD, and some aspects of disclosure and social reactions from others.     

Factors associated with an increased impact of child sexual abuse

Data is presented identifying factors associated with the impact of sexual abuse on children. A group of 369 sexually abused children and a comparison group of 318 children recruited from the community were compared on a parent-completed behavior rating scale. Data describing the abused children were also available from a 38-item symptom checklist completed by the child's social worker. Using a score based on the symptom checklist as the measure of the impact of sexual abuse, 15 variables were in the final regression equation explaining 42% of the variance in impact. Using a score based on parent-generated data, 5 variables were in the final equation explaining 20% of the variance. The significance of the variables in identifying factors associated with an increased impact of abuse is discussed.     

Factors associated with successful entry into therapy in child sexual abuse cases

Given the well-documented, long-term, negative mental health consequences of child sexual abuse, it is important that children receive counseling following abuse. Often, the social worker's responsibility is to insure that abused children are appropriately referred for counseling following disclosure of sexual abuse. There are multiple factors that could facilitate or hinder this process, and identification of these factors is important in assisting families in becoming engaged in therapy. The purpose of this study was to (1) determine the extent of the problem of sexual abuse victims failing to keep their first scheduled therapy appointment, and (2) identify factors associated with failure to attend. Subjects were 129 consecutive child sexual abuse clients referred to long-term therapy by counselors at a crisis intervention center. Those who attended their first therapy session (n = 84) were found to differ from those who did not (n = 45) on the basis of their race, the center to which they were referred (private or public), whether the family had a telephone in the home, and whether the child's mother agreed that the family needed counseling. Implications of this study for increasing attendance at therapy are presented and recommendations are made for further research.     

Factors protecting against the development of adjustment difficulties in young adults exposed to childhood sexual abuse

Objective: The aims of this study were to identify the factors which discriminated young people exposed to childhood sexual abuse (CSA) who developed psychiatric disorder or adjustment difficulties in young adulthood from those young people exposed to CSA who did not develop psychiatric disorder or adjustment difficulties by age 18.Method: Data were gathered on a birth cohort of 1,025 New Zealand children studied from birth to the age of 18 on (a) exposure to CSA; (b) patterns of psychiatric disorder and adjustment difficulties at age 18 years; (c) factors that may have influenced responses to CSA including characteristics of the abuse, parental bonding, parental characteristics, and adolescent peer affiliations.Results: Just over 10% of the cohort reported CSA. Those reporting CSA were at increased risks of a range of difficulties at age 18 (depression, anxiety, conduct disorder, alcohol abuse/dependence, other substance abuse/dependence, post sexual abuse trauma, attempted suicide). However, not all of those exposed to CSA developed difficulties and approximately a quarter of those exposed to CSA did not meet criteria for any adjustment difficulty. Further analysis suggested that the extent of adjustment difficulties in those exposed to CSA was influenced by two additional factors: (a) the extent of affiliations with delinquent or substance using peers in adolescence; and (b) the extent of paternal care or support in childhood.Conclusions: The findings of this study suggest that while young people exposed to CSA are at increased risks of psychiatric disorder and adjustment difficulties in young adulthood, not all individuals exposed to CSA will develop adjustment difficulties. Important factors protecting against the development of adjustment difficulties in young people experiencing CSA appear to be the nature and quality of peer and family relationships.     

Pathways from childhood sexual abuse to trait anxiety

BackgroundChildren exposed to sexual abuse are at risk for developing several psychological and behavioral difficulties during adulthood. Here, direct and indirect effects of family conflict, insecurity within the family system (manifested as disengagement and/or preoccupation), and negative feelings provoked by childhood sexual abuse (CSA) on trait anxiety scores were analyzed with structural equation modeling. Both Finkelhor and Browne’s traumagenic dynamics model and Davies and Cummings Emotional Security Theory were applied.MethodsA total of 168 female college student survivors of CSA participated in this study. Information regarding each participant’s abuse was obtained from a self-reported questionnaires. Emotional security was assessed with the Security in the Family System scale. To assess negative feelings regarding abuse and trait anxiety, Children’s Impact of Traumatic Events Scale-Revised and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory were applied, respectively.ResultsLevel of family conflict was found to directly relate to emotional insecurity and trait anxiety. In addition, preoccupation strategies were found to be directly related to trait anxiety. Conversely, disengagement strategies were indirectly related to anxiety through the negative feelings provoked by abuse. Experience with other types of abuse and/or neglect was also related to emotional insecurity and feelings provoked by CSA. Meanwhile, continuity of abuse only correlated with feelings provoked by abuse.ConclusionsStrong relationships between family conflict, emotional insecurity, negative feelings provoked by CSA and trait anxiety were observed. These results suggest that treatment of CSA survivors should focus on improving security within the survivors’ family system and reducing negative feelings provoked by abuse.     

School programs to prevent intrafamilial child sexual abuse

The incidence of child sexual abuse would argue for the schools assuming a larger role in the development of preventive and educational programs. Because of the public school system's consistent and longitudinal contact with children and families it is perhaps the most promising institution for the delivery of preventive efforts. This article presents specific suggestions for school-based programs directed toward the prevention of intrafamilial child sexual abuse. Further, it is argued that for maximum effectiveness, the support of local parent-teacher organizations be elicited; that educational programs be presented separately for parents and children; and that a variety of programs in concert with the development level of participants be presented on topics related to child sexual abuse. Topics regarded as important for prevention efforts are factual information on sexual abuse, appropriate and inappropriate touch, the respective role responsibilities and rights of parents and children, and a sex education approach that stresses the values of nonexploitation and discrimination in the choice of whether to engage in sexual behavior and the choice of partners.     

Child abuse by mothers' boyfriends: why the overrepresentation?

This study showed that although mothers' boyfriends perform relatively little child care, they are responsible for substantially more child abuse than other nonparental caregivers. Using data drawn from interviews with single mothers and records of child abuse substantiated through child protection investigation, mothers' boyfriends' overrepresentation in child abuse was traced to five conditions: (a) the location of their child care in single parent families; (b) their gender; (c) the absence of genetic relationship between mothers' boyfriends and their partner's children; (d) mothers' boyfriends' perceived illegitimacy as caregivers and family members; and (e) mothers' boyfriends' rivalry with their partner's children. The limitations of these findings and implications for future research are discussed.     

Personality development following sexual abuse

Thirty-seven girls and twelve boys who had been sexually abused at an average of 2.6 years previously were traced and reviewed. The nonoffending parents participated in a structured interview and the children were assessed using the Piers-Harris Self-Concept Scale and the Achenbach Child Behavior Checklist. Each child was matched with a child not known to have been sexually abused and these control children underwent a similar psychological assessment. Interviews with the nonoffending parents found that 76% of the children were thought to be less confident than before, 30% had fewer friends, and 20% were more aggressive. Increased sexual awareness was noted in 24%. School teachers reported that 28% still had behavior problems, 17% had repeated a year at school, and a further 17% had deteriorated in their school work. The sexually abused girls had significantly lower self-esteem than the control girls. There was no difference in self-esteem between the control and the sexually abused boys. There was a higher incidence of stranger assault in the boys compared with the girls. The Child Behavior Checklist completed by the parents, the Teacher Report Form, and the Youth Self-Report of the Child Behavior Checklist showed that a highly significant proportion of sexually abused children fell into the clinical range. Sexual abuse appears to have long-term adverse consequences for many of the victims. This may have implications for their ability to relate to others, for the adult friendships they will make, and eventually for the way they will relate to their own children.     

Children's reactions to sex abuse investigation and litigation

This investigation attempted to begin to quantify the extent to which children are helped or further victimized by sex abuse investigation and litigation procedures. Although there is virtually no research on the subject, frequent assumptions have been made that these procedures often further victimize children. Significant changes in state legislation have and are being considered which would protect victims from further victimization. A child victim questionnaire was sent to the presidents of all area child abuse and neglect councils in the state of Iowa as well as to other personnel working with sexually abused children. The somewhat surprising findings revealed that of the 48 questionnaires returned only approximately 21% of the victims perceived that the questioning and investigation was harmful, while approximately 53% saw it as helpful. Other analyses found that ratings of helpfulness were not correlated with the age of the victim, the presence of a supportive adult during questioning, the number of abuse incidents, whether or not the interviews were videotaped, and whether or not the perpetrator was a family member. Testifying in court and high numbers of interviewers were associated with more negative ratings. The limitations and implications of the results are discussed along with suggestions for future research.     

Attitudes of health professionals to child sexual abuse and incest

While there has been increasing interest in the topic of child sexual abuse, few studies have focused on attitudes or the determinants of such attitudes held by professionals. To what extent concern is based on stereotyping or factual knowledge is not clear. The present study uses a combination of experimental and survey methodologies to address these issues. Sample case histories were issued to subjects who were then asked to complete a questionnaire on topics relating to the case and to incest in general. Results showed that the type of sexual activity involved influenced responses: type of relationship between adult and child, less so. Estimates of incest were low, but incest was considered, especially by female respondents, to be harmful to the victim.     

Maternal support following childhood sexual abuse: Relationships to child-reported

Maternal support has been conceptualized as a key factor in predicting children’s functioning following sexual abuse; however, empirical evidence for this assumption is rather limited. Prior studies may have failed to find a relationship between maternal support and children’s outcomes due to the methodological weaknesses of the prior literature such as the use of maternal support measures without adequately reported psychometric properties. Moreover, relatively few studies have investigated whether maternal support corresponds with children’s own self-reported symptoms. The aim of the present study was to utilize the only published measure of maternal support with sufficient psychometrics, the Maternal Self-Report Support Questionnaire (MSSQ; Smith et al., 2010), to determine if levels of pre-treatment support are associated with children’s self-reported trauma-related symptoms among 165 treatment-seeking children (M = 10.85, SD = 3.09) and their non-offending mothers. Levels of maternal emotional support corresponded with few of children’s outcomes, and when relationships were observed, emotional support was related to higher levels of symptoms. Maternal levels of blame and doubt were only associated with dissociative symptoms. Maternal support therefore appears to be an ineffective predictor of children’s post-disclosure trajectories and raises the possibility that maternal support is linked with poorer functioning.     

The child sexual abuse accommodation syndrome

Child victims of sexual abuse face secondary trauma in the crisis of discovery. Their attempts to reconcile their private experiences with the realities of the outer world are assaulted by the disbelief, blame and rejection they experience from adults. The normal coping behavior of the child contradicts the entrenched beliefs and expectations typically held by adults, stigmatizing the child with charges of lying, manipulating or imagining from parents, courts and clinicians. Such abandonment by the very adults most crucial to the child's protection and recovery drives the child deeper into self-blame, self-hate, alienation and revictimization. In contrast, the advocacy of an empathic clinician within a supportive treatment network can provide vital credibility and endorsement for the child. Evaluation of the responses of normal children to sexual assault provides clear evidence that societal definitions of "normal" victim behavior are inappropriate and procrustean, serving adults as mythic insulators against the child's pain. Within this climate of prejudice, the sequential survival options available to the victim further alienate the child from any hope of outside credibility or acceptance. Ironically, the child's inevitable choice of the "wrong" options reinforces and perpetuates the prejudicial myths. The most typical reactions of children are classified in this paper as the child sexual abuse accommodation syndrome. The syndrome is composed of five categories, of which two define basic childhood vulnerability and three are sequentially contingent on sexual assault: (1) secrecy, (2) helplessness, (3) entrapment and accommodation, (4) delayed, unconvincing disclosure, and (5) retraction. The accommodation syndrome is proposed as a simple and logical model for use by clinicians to improve understanding and acceptance of the child's position in the complex and controversial dynamics of sexual victimization. Application of the syndrome tends to challenge entrenched myths and prejudice, providing credibility and advocacy for the child within the home, the courts, and throughout the treatment process. The paper also provides discussion of the child's coping strategies as analogs for subsequent behavioral and psychological problems, including implications for specific modalities of treatment.     

Child sexual abuse by nonrelated caregivers

This study examined the social contexts in which sexually abusive child care providers came into contact with children and parents. Content analysis of 325 case records resulted in the identification of seven main child care arrangements in which sexual abuse occurred. These arrangements varied by the routinization and formality of the caregiving relationship, as well as the methods of caregiver selection and reimbursement. The main finding was that the vast majority of female perpetrators were adolescents whose abusive behavior took place in the caregiving arrangement in which she is selected by parents, engaged on a routine basis, and paid a sum of money for her child care. In contrast, sexually abusive male caregivers represented a wide range of ages and committed sexual abuse over a significantly broader range of situations than female caregivers.