Prevalence of childhood sexual abuse among incarcerated males in county jail

OBJECTIVE: The current study examined the prevalence and characteristics of childhood sexual abuse in a jailed-based population. METHODOLOGY: A retrospective, self-reported survey was administered over an 8-week period to a random sample of 100 men who were incarcerated in a county jail in Southeastern Texas. The survey included questions about childhood sexual experiences before and after puberty, drug history and use, and sexual risk-taking behaviors. RESULTS: Of the 100 male inmates who participated in this study, 59% reported experiencing some form of sexual abuse before puberty, and all such instances occurred before or at the age of 13 years. The first episode of childhood sexual abuse began at an average age of 9.6 years (SD = 2.4), and ended at an average age of 13.0 years (SD = 2.3). Kissing and touching without intercourse (64%) was the common pattern of sexual abuse experience reported. The total number of perpetrators was 165, with 10% male and 90% female. Friends (n = 72) and family (n = 56) were the most frequent perpetrators. CONCLUSION: Childhood sexual abuse may be more prevalent among inmates than among males in the general population. These results show a high percentage of inmates who report a history of childhood sexual abuse; this rate is higher than those reported by other studies for incarcerated males. The findings support the belief held by professionals in the criminal justice field that a significant number of incarcerated males may have been victims of sexual abuse.     

Memories of childhood sexual abuse: a survey of young adults

Objective: To explore the prevalence of, characteristics of, and factors associated with forgetting of childhood sexual abuse memories in a large non-clinical sample (N = 1712).Method: Using an anonymous survey, we asked respondents about (a) the nature and severity of their childhood abuse; (b) the continuity of their abuse memories; and (c) their experiences with others suggesting to them that they might have been abused.Results: A substantial minority of victims in our sample reported having temporarily forgotten their childhood sexual abuse. Forgetting was largely unassociated with victim or abuse characteristics. Compared to individuals who always remembered their abuse, however, individuals who temporarily forgot were more likely to report that someone had suggested to them that they might have experienced abuse. Those who received such suggestions were particularly likely to suspect that they may have experienced childhood sexual abuse that they do not yet remember.Conclusion: Forgetting may be less common than implied by earlier estimates from clinical samples, yet it is not uncommon. Also, a sizable minority of the population is wondering whether they have experienced unremembered abuse, and these suspicions are linked to having encountered suggestions from others. We discuss the implications of these findings for understanding the phenomenon sometimes labeled repression.Spanish abstract was not available at time of publication.     

Memories of childhood sexual abuse: a survey of young adults

Objective: To explore the prevalence of, characteristics of, and factors associated with forgetting of childhood sexual abuse memories in a large non-clinical sample (N = 1712).Method: Using an anonymous survey, we asked respondents about (a) the nature and severity of their childhood abuse; (b) the continuity of their abuse memories; and (c) their experiences with others suggesting to them that they might have been abused.Results: A substantial minority of victims in our sample reported having temporarily forgotten their childhood sexual abuse. Forgetting was largely unassociated with victim or abuse characteristics. Compared to individuals who always remembered their abuse, however, individuals who temporarily forgot were more likely to report that someone had suggested to them that they might have experienced abuse. Those who received such suggestions were particularly likely to suspect that they may have experienced childhood sexual abuse that they do not yet remember.Conclusion: Forgetting may be less common than implied by earlier estimates from clinical samples, yet it is not uncommon. Also, a sizable minority of the population is wondering whether they have experienced unremembered abuse, and these suspicions are linked to having encountered suggestions from others. We discuss the implications of these findings for understanding the phenomenon sometimes labeled repression.Spanish abstract was not available at time of publication.     

Childhood sexual abuse by representatives of the Roman Catholic Church: A prevalence estimate among the Dutch population

Estimates of the extent of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) within in the Roman Catholic Church (RCC) in the general population are difficult to find. The independent Commission of Inquiry into sexual abuse of minors in the RCC in the Netherlands collected population-based data to estimate its prevalence. A large random online population sample was surveyed using a two-phase stratified sampling procedure. In Phase 1, 34,267 subjects aged 40 years and older were screened for childhood exposure to sexual abuse by non-family members, a history of institutionalization and a Roman Catholic upbringing. In Phase 2, a stratified subset of 2,462 subjects was assessed to obtain more detailed target information about sexual abuse reports within the RCC. We employed multiple imputation for the estimation of RCC CSA in the original Phase 1 sample. The prevalence of non-familial CSA in general (14.0%) was higher among women (17.2%) than among men (10.6%). The prevalence of CSA within the Dutch RCC (1.7%) was higher among men (2.7%) than among women (0.7%). As expected, older subjects reported more often CSA in the RCC than their younger counterparts. Respondents who stayed for some time in RCC run institutions for education or child protection had a higher risk to report sexual abuse. Although sexual abuse of minors by representatives of the RCC was a structural problem during a period that the Church was highly influential in the Netherlands, the estimated prevalence of the phenomenon is only a fraction of the prevalence rate of non-familial CSA.     

Young offenders in New South Wales,Australia and the need for remedial sexual health education

The 2005–2008 Australian National Sexually Transmissible Infections Strategy identifies young people as a key target group in need of sexual health education, screening and management. For young people who are in contact with the New South Wales (NSW) juvenile justice system, a dire need for remedial sexual health education exists. NSW young offenders indicate initiation of sexual activity at a younger age than their peers, higher numbers of sexual partners, infrequent condom use and higher rates of sexually transmitted infections. They also report family instability, poor accessing of health services, and low school attendance: all factors that result in poor sexual knowledge and health outcomes. An examination into the cognitive profile of these young offenders indicates remedial education for this group may require a dual approach in order to redress their specific circumstances and needs. The first approach should target young offenders who simply missed out on stages of sexual health information in the school curriculum. The second approach requires a tailored teaching methodology more appropriate for a group with atypical cognitive profiles. Both approaches need to engage an educative model that acknowledges that these disadvantaged young people are already sexual active; and that many did not have the benefit of an informed or consensual decision making processes. More importantly, the tailoring of a sexual health education program to these young people needs to resonate with teaching to a cognitively distinctive population who have experienced higher than usual rates of alcohol and other drugs abuse, and higher than usual episodes of physical and emotional abuse and neglect.     

Issues in the definition of child sexual abuse in prevalence research

Despite efforts to promote uniform criteria for defining child sexual abuse, there are still variations in the definitions adopted by individual researchers. This paper focuses on four representative studies, describes differences in the definitions used and examines how such differences may contribute to discrepancies in the estimated prevalence of abuse. Similarities and dissimilarities are identified in several areas: the upper age limit for child sexual abuse, the criteria used to define a given sexual experience as abusive, the inclusion or exclusion of experiences involving age peers, and the use of different criteria for incidents occurring during adolescence. Prevalence rates from one study, which used a slightly less restrictive definition of abuse, were recalculated based on the definitions of other researchers. This resulted in a 14% decrease in the number of individuals identified as abused. While this is a substantial change, it accounts for only a portion of the discrepancy in prevalence rates, suggesting that other factors, such as methodological differences, need to be examined with regard to their impact on prevalence rates. Historical and legal issues pertaining to the definition of child sexual abuse are also discussed.     

The prevalence of child sexual abuse victimization in an adult sample of Texas residents

Attempts to identify characteristics of children who have been sexually abused have generally been based on cases reported to clinics, hospitals, law enforcement and social service agencies. In this study a questionnaire was mailed to a representative sample of the adult population in Texas. Child sexual abuse was defined as sexual interaction between a child and an adult or between two minors when the perpetrator is significantly older than the victim or is in a position of power over the victim. A return rate of 53% was obtained. The surveys returned varied from previous studies of the same population in that the respondents were slightly older, more often married and from a slightly higher socioeconomic level. They were, however, closely matched on the variables of sex, race and educational level. Childhood sexual victimization was reported by 7.4% of the respondents. Female victims comprised 82% of this group. The racial/ethnic distribution of victims paralleled that of the Texas census with 77% white, 5% black, and 16% Hispanic. Victimization rates were highest for Hispanic females followed by black and white females in that order. Hispanic and black males reported the lowest victimization rates. Based on these findings, it was estimated that 821,359 adult Texas residents were sexually abused as children. These results were compared with those of other studies along with their implications for policy-making.     

A retrospective study with ICAST-R (ispcan child abuse screening tools-retrospective) questionnaire for determination of child abuse in first year medical students in Turkish population

Child Abuse and Neglect (CAN) is an important problem both in Turkey and worldwide. Unfortunately, we still don’t have enough and reliable data on this important subject. In this study, we aimed to investigate the prevalence of childhood maltreatment in a population of first year medical students in a Turkish university using the retrospective version of the ISPCAN Child Abuse Screening Tool (ICAST-R). One hundred seventy three first year medical students, aged between 18 and 24 years, who agreed to complete the ICAST-R questionnaire, were recruited in our study. Of 173 students who completed the survey, 51.4% are found to be subjected to at least one type of child abuse (physical, emotional or sexual). The prevalence is higher in male gender and the difference is statistically significant. Physical, emotional and sexual abuse exposure rates are found to be 23.1%, 40.5% and 11% respectively. Physical and emotional abuse rates are higher in male gender and the difference is statistically significant. We did not find any statistically significant association between gender and sexual abuse. Efforts to prevent child abuse and neglect are growing in our country, as they are worldwide. However, child abuse is still common and a problematic issue. It is important to determine the prevalence of child abuse in order to raise awareness. We need further studies investigating not only prevalence but also risk factors to have reliable data for our country.     

The incidence and utility of the ACID,ACIDS, and SCAD profiles in a referred population

THE ACID, ACIDS, and SCAD profiles are examples of subtest patterns from the WISC-III that have been proposed as potentially helpful in differential diagnosis of exceptionalities. This study investigated the prevalence and utility of these profiles in a large referred population. Although the incidence rates of the ACID and ACIDS profiles in some groups were greater than rates reported for the standardization sample, incidence levels were found to be low in all clinical groups studied. The SCAD profile evidenced generally higher incidence rates but none greater than the rates reported for the standardization sample. The findings support the use of conditional probabilities and incremental gains based on the actual incidence from a referred population to assist in differential diagnosis; however, none of the profiles are recommended as a criterion for determining exceptionality.     

Behavioral problems in alleged sexual abuse victims.

This study was conducted to compare the parental assessments of problem behaviors, using the Achenbach Child Behavior Checklist, among alleged sexual abuse victims (n = 81) and an age, race, and gender matched group of nonabused comparison subjects (n = 90). Alleged sexual abuse victims demonstrated significantly higher mean total behavior problem, internalizing and externalizing scores than the comparison sample. Subscale profiles were all in the direction consistent with withdrawal, impairment in social interaction, and sexual problems. Item comparison indicated that sexual abuse victims were more likely to be assessed as having some problem behaviors that have been reported as being indicative of sexual abuse. A significant difference was not obtained on several behaviors that have been previously reported as indicative of sexual abuse. These findings support concerns that sexual abuse victims do exhibit more problem behaviors, but caution must be exercised when interpreting individual behaviors because of their frequency in a nonabused sample.     

Child sexual abuse consequences in community samples of Latino and European American adolescents

ObjectiveResearch investigating the impact of child sexual abuse (CSA) in community samples of adolescents has been limited. This study aims to identify sexual abuse among ethnically diverse high school adolescents of both genders and evaluate their psycho-emotional consequences.MethodThrough the use of self-report instruments, a sample of 223 Latino and European American 16–19-year-old high school students were identified as either victims of CSA or as nonabused. The emotional impact of sexual abuse was also investigated among these ethnically diverse adolescent males and females.ResultsInitial findings revealed that those adolescents who gave inconsistent responses to CSA assessments questions were much more similar in patterns of psychological distress to CSA victims compared to nonabused teenagers. Prevalence analyses revealed that females (45%) were nearly two times more likely to report CSA than males (24%). Latinos (44%) were significantly more likely to experience CSA compared to European Americans (27%), and Latinas (54%) had the highest prevalence overall. Other findings indicated substantial differences in type of perpetrator. While female victims of CSA identified male perpetrators in 91.9% of cases, male victims of CSA identified female perpetrators in 52.9% of cases. Consistent with past research, sexually abused adolescents reported significantly greater psychological distress than their nonabused peers, regardless of gender or ethnic group. Gender differences emerged with females reporting greater psychological symptoms, but these differences were substantially reduced when CSA was controlled. European Americans reported greater anxious arousal symptoms compared to Latinos.ConclusionsOur findings suggest that the prevalence of CSA among adolescents is higher than existing research has noted for both males and females and particularly higher for Latinos compared to European Americans. Perpetration by females upon males may also be higher than research has noted. Our findings also revealed many ethnic and gender similarities and fewer differences in the psychological impact and circumstances of sexual abuse in this diverse sample of adolescents.Practice implicationsThe high prevalence of CSA among adolescent males and particularly Latinas emphasize the need to intervene on a community level and with parents for both prevention and intervention regarding issues of sexual victimization. The numbers of female perpetrators, especially when boys are the targets of abuse, may be higher than previously imagined and thus must be assessed tactfully and thoroughly. This study found that adolescents who reported CSA inconsistently had similar symptoms as those with confirmed CSA and therefore warrant greater attention and more persistent intervention. When treating victims of CSA, the Trauma Symptom Inventory (TSI) is effective in identifying specific areas of emotional distress to treat in sexually abused ethnically diverse male and female adolescents. Culturally relevant prevention efforts are needed for ethnically diverse children of both genders.     

Child maltreatment as a risk factor for opioid dependence: Comparison of family characteristics and type and severity of child maltreatment with a matched control group

ObjectiveTo examine the prevalence, characteristics and risk factors for child maltreatment among opioid-dependent persons compared to a community sample of similar social disadvantage.MethodThe study employed a case-control design. Cases had a history of opioid pharmacotherapy. Controls were frequency matched to cases with regard to age, sex and unemployment and were restricted to those with a lifetime opioid use of less than five times. The interview covered child maltreatment, family environment, drug use and psychiatric history.ResultsThis study found a high prevalence of child maltreatment among both cases and controls. Despite the elevated prevalence among controls, opioid-dependent males had a higher prevalence of physical and emotional abuse; female cases had a higher prevalence and greater severity of sexual abuse. The prevalence of neglect was similar for both groups. Early parental separation was more prevalent among female cases compared to female controls; otherwise the prevalence of the risk factors was comparable for both groups. The risk factors significantly associated with child maltreatment were also similar for both cases and controls.ConclusionsGiven the documented association between child maltreatment and adult mental disorder, child maltreatment may be an important antecedent of current psychological distress in persons presenting to treatment for opioid dependence. Apart from a possible association between early parental separation and sexual abuse among female cases, the increased prevalence of child maltreatment associated with opioid dependence did not appear to be related to differences in early childhood risk factors considered in this paper. Other risk factors may be more pertinent for those with opioid dependence.Practice implicationsThe high prevalence of child maltreatment among the opioid-dependent sample has implications for the assessment and treatment of clients presenting with opioid dependence. Assessment of child maltreatment history could help inform the development of individual treatment plans to better address those factors contributing to the development and maintenance of opioid dependence. Specifically, management of co-morbid mental disorder associated with child maltreatment could be the focus of relapse prevention programmes and also have a positive influence on treatment retention.     

Sexual reconviction rates in the United Kingdom and actuarial risk estimates

OBJECTIVE: Assessing the risk of further offending behavior by adult sexual perpetrators of children is highly relevant and important to professionals involved in child protection. Recent progress in assessing risk in sexual offenders has established the validity of actuarial measures, although there continues to be some debate about the application of these instruments. This paper summarizes the debate between clinical and actuarial approaches and reviews the "base rate" for United Kingdom sexual offense reconviction. METHOD: A review of the literature revealed 16 UK sexual reconviction studies, 8 using incarcerated samples (N=5,915) and 8 using non-incarcerated samples (N=1,274). UK estimates of sexual reconviction rates are compared with European and North American studies. RESULTS: The mean sexual reconviction rates for the incarcerated sample at 2 years (6.0%), 4 years (7.8%) and 6 years or more (19.5%) were higher than that of the comparative non-incarcerated sample at 2 years (5.7%), up to 4 years (5.9%), and 6 years or more (15.5%). The overall sexual reconviction rate for both samples combined was 5.8% at 2 years, and 17.5% at 6 years or more. CONCLUSIONS: The sexual reconviction rate for incarcerated sexual offenders is higher than that of non-incarcerated sexual offenders. The UK sexual reconviction rates were comparable with European and North American studies.     

Changes in the prevalence of child maltreatment in Vietnam over 10 years

ObjectivesIn the context of the shortage of studies on child maltreatment changes over time in limited resource settings, this paper explored the changes in the prevalence of multiple types of child maltreatment over a period of 10 years in Vietnam and tested the moderating role of some demographic characteristics in these changes.MethodsWe used data from two prevalence studies conducted in 2004 and in 2014 using similar methodologies. Both studies used self-report questionnaires which were completed by randomly selected students aged 12–17 years from different provinces in Vietnam. We also compared Hanoi subgroups to examine the trend using the most equivalent samples.ResultsWhile the prevalence estimates of sexual abuse and neglect were unchanged over 10 years, the prevalence of physical abuse and emotional abuse declined. The decrease in the prevalence of physical abuse was larger for younger adolescents and boys than for their counterparts. For sexual abuse, older adolescents reported an increase in the prevalence of sexual abuse. In the Hanoi sample comparison, only the prevalence of emotional abuse declined and this reduction was smaller for younger adolescents than for the older group.ConclusionDespite the reduction of emotional and physical abuse in the whole sample and emotional abuse in the Hanoi sample, all types of child maltreatment were still highly prevalent in Vietnam. We argue that interventions on all types of child maltreatment should be further implemented. Similar studies could be conducted to evaluate the effect of child protection policies on the prevalence of child maltreatment.     

Predicting the child-rearing practices of mothers sexually abused in childhood.

OBJECTIVE: Although empirical investigations have established a relationship between childhood sexual abuse and numerous long-term consequences, surprisingly little research has addressed the possible effects of childhood victimization on the later child-rearing practices of adult survivors. The present study examined hypothesized predictors of three parenting styles among adult survivors of sexual abuse as compared with adult children of alcoholic parents. METHOD: Forty-five clinical outpatients completed a questionnaire battery assessing experiences of childhood abuse, current economic and social resources, and parenting attitudes and practices. The child-rearing practices of participants were compared with those reported by a community sample of 717 mothers. Additional analyses examined the extent to which sexual abuse and its adult sequelae predicted the parenting behaviors reported by the present sample. RESULTS: Both sexual abuse survivors and children of alcoholics reported significantly higher rates of permissive parenting practices than mothers in the community sample. Multiple regression analyses further revealed unique relationships between sexual abuse and parenting, over and above the variance explained by physical abuse, current socioeconomic status, and the experience of growing up in an alcoholic home. Mothers' sexual abuse severity, social support satisfaction, and dysfunctional parenting attitudes moderated several of these relationships. CONCLUSIONS: The present findings suggest that sexual abuse and its adult sequelae may have negative consequences for the parenting practices of survivors, particularly for survivors' ability to provide their children with appropriate structure, consistent discipline, and clear behavioral expectations. Implications for the psychosocial development of survivors' children are discussed.     

Recollections of sexual socialisation among marginalised heterosexual black men

This paper describes the sexual socialisation process of marginalised, drug-using heterosexual black men, focusing primarily on the sources and content of sexual information. Analysing qualitative interview data, we discovered that the men in our sample both learn about sex and become sexually active at an early age. They most often learn about sex from the media and least often learn about sex from family members. The content of sexual information varies in specifics, but overall tends to equate sex with pleasure, encourage sexual activity with multiple partners and emphasise using protection. Our goal is to use this data to better understand how sexual socialisation contributes to the prevalence of multiple sexual partners and high rates of HIV among heterosexual black men in order to inform future risk-reduction intervention programmes.     

Childhood experience of sexual abuse among Hong Kong Chinese college students

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to explore the prevalence rate and profiles of abusers and victims of child sexual abuse in a Chinese society. METHOD: A convenience sample of 2,147 Hong Kong Chinese college students completed questionnaires which included items on definitions of child sexual abuse, recall of sexual abuse experience before age 17, information about the sexual abuse incidents, and personal demographics. RESULTS: The overall prevalence rate for various forms of child sexual abuse was 6%, with the rates being higher for females than for males. The average age of the victims at the time of the sexual abuse was 11 years old, with a majority of them experiencing sexual abuse during their teenage years. The average age of the abusers as estimated by the victims was 24 years old, and only 28% of the abusers were strangers to the victims. Males were about three times more likely than females to be sexually abused by their friends, whereas females were about twice more likely than males to be sexually abused by strangers. Only 39% of the victims reported their sexual victimization to others, and 56% of the reported incidents were not followed up. CONCLUSIONS: As compared to Western studies, the present study showed lower rates for more intimate or severe forms of child sexual abuse. The Chinese victims were more reluctant to disclose their sexual victimization than their Western counterparts. Limitations and practical implications of the study are also discussed.     

Maternal support following childhood sexual abuse: Links to parent-reported children’s outcomes

Maternal support is touted to play a critical role in predicting children’s symptom trajectories following sexual abuse disclosure. Yet, a recent meta-analysis indicates that this widely held belief may actually have limited empirical support. The lack of correspondence between maternal support and children’s symptoms may be the result of the limitations of the prior literature including the use of maternal support measures with inadequate psychometric properties. The aim of the present study was to utilize the only published measure with sufficient psychometrics properties, the Maternal Self-Report Support Questionnaire (MSSQ; Smith et al., 2010), to determine the relationships between maternal support and demographic and family characteristics, parent-reported children’s symptoms, and aspects of the traumatic event in a treatment-seeking sample. The sample included 252 treatment-seeking children (M = 8.86, SD = 3.85; 67.5% female, 59.5% White) and their mothers, who completed the MSSQ and other measures at pre-treatment. Mothers of older children, White children, and mothers with greater educational attainment reported higher levels of Emotional Support. Single mothers were more likely to report higher levels of Blame/Doubt than married mothers. Characteristics of the traumatic event, such as sexual abuse duration and number of sexual abuse incidents were negatively correlated with Emotional Support. Maternal support was related to relatively few of children’s symptoms and was not associated with levels of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. Although several demographic and family characteristics may be related to maternal support, it is a relatively weak predictor of children’s outcomes.