Child Sexual Abuse

This study examined the association between childhood sexual abuse (CSA) and parenting outcomes including parenting stress, feelings of competence and discipline strategies. Maternal depression and current partner violence were hypothesized to be mediators of the association between CSA and parenting. This study is based on secondary data analysis of archived data. The participants were 263 primiparous mothers (107 with a history of CSA and 156 comparison mothers recruited from a prenatal clinic prior to the birth of their first child. Mothers were interviewed twice: once when they were between 28 and 32 weeks gestation and again when their child was between 2 and 4 years of age. During the first interview, women were asked about childhood experiences of sexual abuse. During their second interview, they were asked about current symptoms of pathology and experiences with partner violence and parenting beliefs and practices. Structural Equation Modeling indicated that the relationship...

This article was published in Campaign Australia, a popular magazine, to raise awareness within the gay community about the potential long term impacts of child sexual abuse. Little had been written at the time about what is now a well researched and publicized social and psychological problem affecting all communities. This article is written in accessible language and provides case examples intended to prompt reflection.

With the recent realization of the extent to which adolescents are committing sexual offenses, researchers have attempted to identify valid and reliable assessment instruments for this population. Some such assessment instruments (i.e., plethysmography, self-report) have met with criticism relative to their utility with juvenile offenders. The present study aimed to assess the validity of the Abel Assessment for sexual interest™(AASI) with male adolescents who have molested children. Results indicated that the amount of time male adolescent child molesters viewed slides of children was significantly longer than nonmolesters. Additionally, viewing time of slides of children for male adolescent child molesters was significantly correlated with their number of victims and the number of times they carried out acts of child molestation. These results support the AASI as a valid measure of sexual interest in adolescent male child molesters.

Over 22,000 UK women told VictimFocus about their experiences of violence and abuse. This dataset is the largest and most comprehensive record of violence committed against women and girls in the UK.

'I thought it was just a part of life' Understanding the Scale of Violence Committed Against Women in the UK Since Birth 99.7% of our sample had been repeatedly subjected to violence including assaults, harassment and rape.

Only 0.3% of women had only been subjected to one violent incident or less.

Our initial findings in this report suggest that current statistics of the prevalence of violence against women have been underestimated for decades, and instead, it is likely that every woman and girl will be subjected to violence, abuse, rape or harassment.

In the vast majority of cases reported here, women were subjected to multiple crimes and the perpetrators were overwhelmingly male

This study examined the co-occurrence of childhood sexual abuse, adult sexual assault, intimate partner violence, and sexual harassment in a predominantly African American sample of 268 female veterans, randomly sampled from an urban Veterans Affairs hospital women's clinic. A combination of hierarchical and iterative cluster analysis was used to identify 4 patterns of women's lifetime experiences of violence co-occurrence. The 1st cluster experienced relatively low levels of all 4 forms of violence; the 2nd group, high levels of all 4 forms; the 3rd, sexual revictimization across the lifespan with adult sexual harassment; and the 4th, high intimate partner violence with sexual harassment. This cluster solution was validated in a theoretically driven model that examined the role of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as a mediator of physical health symptomatology. Structural equation modeling analyses revealed that PTSD fully mediated the relationship between violence and physical health symptomatology. Consistent with a bio-psycho-immunologic theoretical model, PTSD levels more strongly predicted pain-related physical health symptoms compared to nonpain health problems. Implications for clinical interventions to prevent PTSD and to screen women for histories of violence in health care settings are discussed.

This 18-month follow-up study builds on the findings of a randomized experimental evaluation that found qualified support for He has authored or coauthored over 100 publications, most of which deal with research methods or with empirical evaluations of practice in such areas as domestic violence, severe and persistent mental illness, the assessment and treatment of traumatized children, engagement and retention in substance abuse treatment programs, and the effectiveness of eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR).

This chapter draws from George Monbiot’s (2017) thoughts on the political power of storytelling. He emphasizes that stories function as schema through which people organize information and develop a sense of order and purpose. It is a mistake, he warns, to try to rely on data to challenging a misleading story since ‘[t]he only thing that can displace a story is a story’ (Monbiot, 2017, p 3). In short, information is not sufficient to challenge disinformation: we must also supply a meaningful framework in which that information makes sense. In this chapter, I suggest that the success of ‘false memory’ was due, largely, to its compelling narrative features. False memory advocates were skilled at retelling the story of child abuse as a drama with heroes (people falsely accused of abuse and their allies) and villains (therapists, social workers, feminists) locked in a battle of good (science, reason, rationality) against the forces of darkness (dogma, fantasy, hysteria). Attempts by experts in trauma and dissociation to counter this story with data have, at times, struggled for purchase, since they have not challenged the affective foundations of the ‘false memory’ narrative.

In this chapter, I argue that we have the opportunity to tell a new, and more hopeful, story about abuse and trauma. While the ‘false memory’ story persists, it has been destabilized by revelations of widespread clergy and institutional abuse, and its valorization of staunch individualism and devaluing of health and welfare services has lost much of its sheen. At the same time, the conceptual apparatus of trauma has taken on increasing social and political as well as psychological significance as a descriptor for the violation of human relationality and the restorative power of care and support. Increased public interest and understanding of trauma provides much of the material for counter-narratives that oppose the alienating individualism and cynicism promoted by ‘false memory’ advocates. As public and professional interest in trauma grows, ‘storifying’ trauma in principled and solutions-focused ways offers a genuine alternative to the outmoded narratives of the past.

Significant numbers of Australian children have experienced neglect, emotional abuse, physical abuse and sexual abuse. The adverse, long-term consequences of these experiences are well demonstrated in the research literature and recognised by the policy and practice communities.

This report:

identifies the conceptual, policy and practice challenges that the prevention of child sexual abuse presents
presents a conceptual mapping of dynamics associated with child sexual abuse and sexual exploitation
outlines key directions that could be taken to strengthen prevention strategies

Research into the sexual behaviour of children remains in its infancy despite growing awareness that, under certain circumstances, it can at times be harmful to those involved. Of the research undertaken thus far, much has focused on descriptive data (Who did what to whom? What is the age difference between the children involved? How many times did they do it?) Little or no research or theorising has been directed to the questions of 'why it occurred' and 'what it means' to the children involved. This paper examines the cases of two boys whose sexual behaviours with other children were found to be problematic by child protection authorities. By considering the transference-countertransference relationship in the treatment setting with each of these boys, it is argued that an examination of the conscious and unconscious procedures, motives and meanings of such children, expands professional horizons of understanding about the phenomenon of pre-pubescent problem sexual behaviour. This paper concludes that research, particularly through the lens of contemporary psychoanalysis, has much to offer clinicians who assess and provide treatment to children whose sexual behaviours fall outside the 'normal' range.

Most explanations of child sexual abuse perpetration have been premised on assumptions of the individualist/monological paradigm. Child abuse prevention programs, including treatment for people known to pose a risk of sexual harm to children (sexual offenders), are also based on monological assumptions. Drawing from the case-study of a Catholic Priest who has sexually abused many children, this paper argues that Psychoanalytic Complexity Theory (PCT) offers a high-definition lens through which the phenomenon of child sexual abuse perpetration can be understood. PCT is consistent with more humane and better informed societal values about the human rights, dignity and worth of each unique person - regardless of whether they are the child-victim, perpetrator, guardian or bystander.

It is sometimes argued that the non-therapeutic, non-consensual alteration of children’s genitals should be discussed in two separate ethical discourses: one for girls (in which such alterations should be termed ‘female genital mutilation’ or FGM), and one for boys (in which such alterations should be termed ‘male circumcision’). In this article, I call into question the moral and empirical basis for such a distinction, and argue that all children—whether female, male, or intersex—should be free from having parts of their genitals removed unless there is a pressing medical indication.

This questionnaire study investigated the prevalence of, and interrelationships among, self-reported same-sex sexual orientation, childhood sexual abuse, and suicidal behavior in 1262 university students in Turkey. Approximately 7% of the sample reported lifetime or current same-sex sexual attractions, 5% reported that they engaged in same-sex sexual behavior, and almost 2% self-identified as either homosexual or bisexual. Overall, almost 10% of the sample acknowledged some form of a same-sex sexual orientation. Twenty-eight percent of the participants reported at least one instance of sexual abuse during their childhood. Almost 42% of the students reported suicidal ideation during the past 12 months or lifetime, and 7% reported that they attempted to kill themselves during their lifetime or in the past 12 months. Five hypotheses about the interrelationships among same-sex sexual orientation, childhood sexual abuse, and suicidal behavior were developed and tested in the study. Self-reported childhood sexual abuse was associated with same-sex sexual behavior. Participants who engaged in same-sex sexual behavior and those who identified themselves as homosexual or bisexual perceived more distance between themselves and their fathers than those who did not. Being sexually abused by someone of one's own sex was related to same-sex sexual orientation in male participants but not in female participants. Childhood sexual abuse was found to be an independent predictor of both suicidal ideation and attempts during the past 12 months. Only identifying oneself as homosexual or bisexual was associated with an increased risk for suicidal ideation during the past 12 months.

MAMUN, ABDULLAH A., DEBBIE A. LAWLOR, MICHAEL J. O'CALLAGHAN, WILLIAM BOR, GAIL M. WILLIAMS, AND JAKE M. NAJMAN. Does childhood sexual abuse predict young adult's BMI? A birth cohort study. Obesity. 2007;15:2103-2110. Objective: The objective was to identify the extent to which childhood sexual abuse (CSA) is associated with BMI and overweight status in young adulthood and to examine whether any associations differ by gender.

A nine-year old boy was placed in a foster family--allegedly because of neglect after his mother had died in a car accident. Abnormal behaviour and the discovery of a photograph showing the boy naked from the waist down made the foster mother suspect sexual abuse. When she asked the boy to tell her the truth, the boy dictated a shocking story into her dictating machine. He described in detail how his mother had been killed and dismembered by her life partner in the bathtub with a saw before his eyes. Police investigations showed that the mother was not registered as deceased and that a suspicious neighbour had actually filed reports with the police months before because the man had given different versions on the alleged fatal accident of the mother. When the apartment was searched and evidence was collected, a bow saw with blood stains was found along with dental crowns in the bathtub drain. In spite of the boy's detailed statement where his mother's partner had allegedly d...

Objective: To investigate links between child sexual abuse (occurring before 13 years), later mental health, family organization, parenting behaviors, and adjustment in offspring. Method: The present study investigates a subsample of the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children an ongoing study of women and their families in the area of Avon, England. A sample of 8292 families met inclusion criteria for identifiable family type and completed self-report data on prior sexual assault. Further data were collected on life course variables, socioeconomic variables, psychological well-being, relationship quality, parent-child relationship quality, and children's adjustment. Results: After adjustment for other childhood adversity, prior child sexual abuse was associated with a range of outcomes in adulthood, including current membership of a nontraditional family type (single mother and stepfather) poorer psychological well-being, teenage pregnancy, parenting behaviors, and adjustment problems in the victim's later offspring. The relationship of child sexual abuse with aspects of the parent-child relationship in later life and with the offspring's adjustment difficulties were mediated in part by mother's mental health-chiefly anxiety. Conclusion: Findings indicate that child sexual abuse has long-term repercussions for adult mental health, parenting relationships, and child adjustment in the succeeding generation.

Ongeveer 15-20% van de scheidingen waarbij kinderen betrokken zijn, lopen uit op zogenaamde conflict-of vechtscheidingen. Ouders blijven in zulke schei-dingen vaak langdurig procederen, waarbij de strijd om omgang met en ouder-lijk gezag over de minderjarige kinderen centraal staat. Dikwijls ontbreekt een degelijk ouderschapsplan met concrete afspraken, en als het wel bestaat, dan houden de ouders zich meestal niet aan de afspraken die hierin zijn opgenomen. In een substantieel deel van de conflictscheidingen worden beschuldigingen van partnergeweld en kindermishandeling, inclusief seksueel misbruik, geuit door één of beide ouder(s). Vaak worden deze beschuldigingen door zorgverleners 'weggewoven' onder de aanname dat deze wel vals zullen zijn en onderdeel van een haatcampagne van de ene ouder tegen de andere. In deze bijdrage geven wij een overzicht van buitenlands wetenschappelijk onderzoek naar seksueel misbruik bij scheidingen en geven de huisarts concrete adviezen die hierop ge-baseerd zijn. Inleiding Seksueel misbruik van een kind wordt in deze bijdrage gedefinieerd als het verrich-ten van seksuele handelingen, hands-on en/of hands-off (denk aan voyeurisme, exhibitionisme), bij een kind jonger dan 18 jaar door een ouder of verzorger van het kind (dit kan ook een stiefouder of nieuwe partner van een van de ouders zijn). Beschuldigingen van kindermishandeling-waar seksueel kindermisbruik onder valt-in de context van een scheiding worden doorgaans door leken alsook door professionals met argusogen bekeken. 1 In een onderzoek onder 863 sociale (jeugdzorgprofessionals, geestelijke gezondheidszorgprofessionals, mediators met een gedragswetenschappelijke opleidingsachtergrond) en juridische professionals (advocaten en mediators met een juridische opleidingsachtergrond) die in hun werk te maken hebben met conflictscheidingsgezinnen, vonden wij dat 46% (n= 394) van deze professionals ervan overtuigd is dat beschuldigingen van kindermis-handeling in 30-50% van de scheidingszaken vals is. 2

The 'Past Sense' Project (PSP) brings together contemporary and historical archaeology, and psychotherapy, to consider the significance of material culture within contexts of domestic and sexual abuse, past and present. PSP will pilot a range of approaches to explore how collaborative community encounters with historic landscapes and buildings, artefacts, and other historical sources might enhance the process of identity (re-)construction and trauma management, for survivors of childhood and adulthood violence and abuse.
Methods include experimental auto- and co-archaeologies that integrate personal narratives and reflections within analyses of data obtained from archaeological surface- and building surveys, and auto-archive material. This will involve considering the (re)construction of meanings for material culture in relation to memory and identity, through studies of artefact biographies, and attending to the production and appropriation of transitional objects, through autobiographical studies.
We will also test the incorporation of recording, analysis, and interpretation of archaeological and other historical material (including written evidence, oral histories, photography, and artistic images) from earlier periods (particularly the 19th - mid 20th centuries) within community work – potentially involving creative elements (such as storytelling and artwork). In doing so, we will explore how engagement with material relating to domestic life in the more distant past (where appropriate, integrating historical material relating to domestic and sexual violence) might enable traumatised individuals and groups to confront experiences of violence in the more recent past. By examining diachronically continuous and changing abusive practices, and socio-political responses to abuse, we aim to foster recognition of dominant ideologies, and the practical, detrimental, effects of structural gender inequality. Emphasising acts of resistance to violence in and around the home, we endeavour to highlight personal and collective achievements that might reinforce and augment both a sense of self, and of community, for survivors of abuse.

This paper aims to examine forensic interviewing techniques during child sexual abuse allegations using South African lenses. Forensic Social Work education and practice in South Africa is emerging as it has been adopted from the United States of America.  There are currently no guidelines for forensic social workers to inform the assessment of children who are alleged to be sexually abused which are in a South African context. For the protection of children, skillful forensic interviews must be conducted for perpetrators of child sexual abuse to be convicted. Forensic interviews help in eliciting accurate and complete report from the alleged child victim to determine if the child has been sexually abused and if so, by whom. The ecosystems theory is used to guide this paper. An extensive literature review was conducted to zoom into systems in South Africa which influence the effectiveness of the forensic interviewing techniques useful to facilitate the disclosure of sexual abus...

Child abuse is a major public health problem. In order to establish the prevalence of abuse exposure among children, measures need to be age-appropriate, sensitive, reliable and valid. This study aimed to investigate the psychometric properties of the Adverse Childhood Experiences Questionnaire Abuse Short Form (ACE-ASF). The ACE-ASF is an 8-item, retrospective self-report questionnaire measuring lifetime physical, emotional and sexual abuse. Data from a nationally representative sample of 15-year-old, school-going adolescents (n=1733, 55.5% female) from the Romanian Health Behavior in School-Based Children Study 2014 (HBSC) were analyzed. The factorial structure of the ACE-ASF was tested with Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmed using Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Measurement invariance was examined across sex, and internal reliability and concurrent criterion validity were established. Violence exposure was high: 39.7% physical, 32.2% emotional and 13.1% sexual ab...

Children’s unwillingness to report abuse places them at risk for re-victimization, and interviewers who do not respond sensitively to that unwillingness may increase the likelihood that victims will not disclose abuse. Interviewer support and children’s reluctance were examined on a turn-by-turn basis using sequential analyses in 199 forensic interviews of 3-to-13-year-olds who alleged maltreatment. Half of the children were interviewed using the Revised Protocol that emphasized rapport-building (RP), the others using the Standard NICHD Protocol (SP). When using the RP, interviewers provided proportionally more support than when using the SP, but even when using the RP they did not specifically provide support when children expressed reluctance. The RP promoted immediate cooperation when reluctant utterances were met with support, however, suggesting that supportive statements were valuable. The findings enhance our understanding of children’s willingness to participate in investiga...

On the basis of literature that suggests that child sexual abuse (CSA) survivors with post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have higher baseline sympathetic nervous system (SNS) activity than healthy controls and research that suggests that the SNS plays a critical role in female physiological sexual arousal, we examined the impact of SNS activation through intense exercise on sexual arousal in women with CSA and PTSD. We measured physiological and subjective sexual arousal in women with CSA (n = 8), women with CSA and PTSD (n = 10), and healthy controls (n = 10) during exposure to nonerotic and erotic videos. After exercise, women with CSA and women with CSA and PTSD showed no significant differences in the physiological sexual response compared with no exercise, which was different from the increased physiological sexual response after exercise observed in control women.

Mandated reporting of child abuse by Family Therapists (FTs) has been examined by the authors in two previous studies. The first study found that mandated reporting issues negatively affected FTs' abilities to maintain a systemic focus. The second study surveyed types and frequencies of negative experiences of FTs with mandated reporting. A 46-item questionnaire was administered to 101 FTs. Results were significant for four of the items. The respondents also provided 116 comments related to mandated reporting experiences. This study provides a qualitative analysis of the written comments of the respondents regarding their xexperiences with mandated reporting of child abuse.

Tony Ward, PhD, Dip. Clin. Psych, currently co-ordinates the forensic psychology doctoral program at the University of Melbourne. His research interests include the area of social competency in offenders, theories of sexual offending, cognitive distortions, and relapse prevention treatment models. Attributions for Sexual Deviance 2 Grant Devilly, PhD, M. Clin Psych, currently convenes the victim's stream of the forensic program at the University of Melbourne. His research interests include treatment models of PTSD and other anxiety disorders, iatrogenesis in clinical practice, psychometric measurement within the clinical domain and pseudoscience within mental health practice.

Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) is a science policy concept that gained traction from 2000 onwards in the EU and US, in which alignment on purposes and values between different stakeholders is a key aspect. This thought experiment problematizes this particular notion: ethically acceptable and societally desirable outcomes are not necessarily achieved when alignment is a consequence of early closure. To argue this point, we took the example of the potential development of scanning technology for the detection of paedophilia among job applicants, for which indicators of broad societal support were found in an RRI project on neuroimaging. We analysed this case by looking through several lenses, obtained by structured and non-structured literature searches. We explored how facts and values are masked when a taboo topic is considered. This results in the black boxing of the problem definition, potential solutions and development trajectories. Complex unstructured problems can t...