Cultural Considerations in Assessment and Treatment of Child Sexual Abuse

No abstract available for this article.     

Religiosity and Child Sexual Abuse: A Risk Factor Assessment

ABSTRACT

This study was conducted to examine the relationship between religion and child sexual abuse. A self-report survey questionnaire was administered to 397 freshmen students at a southern university. The students were asked about several social background factors, including involvement with church and religious activities. They were also asked to disclose whether they had been sexually abused as a child. The present study found significant relationships between religiosity and victims of child sexual abuse by both relatives and non-relatives. Persons sexually abused by a relative were much more likely to be affiliated with fundamental Protestant religions. Persons sexually abused by a non-relative were much more likely to rarely or never be involved in church and religious activities and were affiliated with liberal religious denominations or indicated they were atheists or agnostics.     

Training Knowledge of Professionals on Specific Topics in Child Sexual Abuse

This exploratory study examined the training background and self-reported level of knowledge of a group of professionals on specific topics in child sexual abuse. The results show that while the vast majority of those working with adult victims, female victims, and incest victims have received training, many professionals working in the area of child sexual abuse treatment have not had training on topics directly related to their work. It was found that fewer than 40% of those working with female offenders, victims and offenders who are gay or lesbian, victims and offenders who have developmental disabilities, or in cases where cultural issues are relevant, have had training in working with these types of cases. Those professionals who had received training reported feeling more knowledgeable on these topics than did those without training. It is recommended that graduate degree programs and continuing education programs examine their offerings in the area of child sexual abuse.     

Training Mental Health Professionals in Child Sexual Abuse: Curricular Guidelines

This study explored whether counseling practices with women survivors of child sexual abuse reflect the belief that women do not sexually abuse children. Canadian therapists (n?=?164) who work with women survivors of child sexual abuse were surveyed about their beliefs about what constitutes child sexual abuse, who commits child sexual abuse, and their practices regarding inquiries about abusive behavior. A majority self-reported that they ask women and think it is important to ask but most believe that clients will not spontaneously self-disclose inappropriate sexual thoughts or behaviors. How broadly or narrowly therapists defined child sexual abuse was not related to self-reported therapeutic discussion. Therapists demonstrated differential gender beliefs about child sexual abuse perpetration, but this did not relate to self-reported counseling practices. Implications for therapist education are discussed.     

Cultural Conditions in the Assessment and Treatment of Child Sexual Abuse

No abstract available for this article.     

Utilizing Online Training for Child Sexual Abuse Prevention: Benefits and Limitations

The prevalence of child sexual abuse demands innovative approaches to prevent further victimization. The online environment provides new opportunities to expand existing child sexual abuse prevention trainings that target adult gatekeepers and allow for large scale interventions that are fiscally viable. This article discusses the benefits and limitations of conducting online organizational trainings from the perspective of participants, including what participants found effective, what challenges were most commonly encountered, and trainee perspectives of the program's overall impact. The final section provides recommendations and lessons learned for practitioners and researchers who hope to utilize and assess online prevention trainings in the future.     

Sexual Abuse Prevention: A Training Program for Developmental Disabilities Service Providers

Persons with developmental disabilities are at an increased risk for becoming victims of sexual abuse. Research has revealed that the largest group of identified perpetrators of sexual abuse is developmental disability service providers. The purpose of the present study was to develop, implement, and evaluate the effectiveness of a sexual abuse prevention training program. Participants were administered a survey assessing knowledge and attitudes before and after the training workshop. Small improvements in knowledge and attitudes about sexual abuse and the sexuality of persons with developmental disabilities were found; however, ge-neral attitudes about individuals with developmental disabilities did not change. Suggestions for future directions in this area are provided.     

Elder Sexual Abuse:

Twenty-eight cases of suspected elder abuse were identified and described by elder protective service workers. All the victims were female, and 71% experienced significant limitations in capacity for independent functioning and self-protection. Indicators of sexual abuse included victim self-report and third party observation of assault, physical injury, and psychosocial symptoms. All but one of the suspected offenders were male. Eighty-one percent were caregivers for the women they allegedly assaulted, and 78% were family members, predominantly sons and husbands. Repeated vaginal rape was the most prevalent type of reported assault. Findings of the study are presented, and issues relative to the sexual victimization of elders are discussed.     

The Role of Psychological Instruments in the Assessment of Child Sexual Abuse

Psychological instruments such as behavioural rating scales or psychometric tests have a useful part to play in the evaluation of child sexual abuse, not as screening (i.e. ‘diagnostic’) devices but primarily as adjuncts to the assessment interview. However, the use of formal psychological instruments in their own right (i.e. on their own) for such purposes is, as yet, very limited and problematic. In their strictly adjunctive role they may provide additional evidence and/or indicate areas for further investigation, without directly questioning the child about the abuse and without being intrusive and leading. Finally, they may help us to assess and measure psychological processes that are influenced by, and thus secondary to, sexual abuse. This paper seeks to review the different types of psychological instruments and to comment on their clinical and their research usage.     

The Relationship between Social Dominance Orientation and Child Sexual Abuse Credibility Assessment

ABSTRACT

Allegations of child sexual abuse (CSA) across various contexts have often been denied or ignored by a multitude of people, including those who do not personally know the alleged perpetrators or victims. The lack of belief of children’s CSA reports is problematic, as this may affect the child’s adjustment, the consequences for the alleged perpetrator, and the likelihood of other victims reporting abuse that they experienced. One plausible explanation for low credibility is the variable of social dominance orientation. In the current study, a diverse sample (N = 60) read a hypothetical vignette of a CSA allegation, rated the credibility of the child, and completed the Social Dominance Orientation-7 scale (SDO-7). Results supported that high social dominance orientation predicts low credibility ratings of the child’s CSA allegation. Findings may impact how clinicians and investigators approach the assessment of credibility of CSA allegations, how they appraise the opinions of others about such credibility, and jury selection in the court system.     

Free Symbolic Play and Assessment of the Nature of Child Sexual Abuse

ABSTRACT

This article highlights the potential value of free symbolic play to the field of sexual abuse. The following two points are argued: (1) free symbolic play is a modality well suited to the expression, reworking and mastery of psychic trauma and therefore offers sexually abused children a channel for communication; (2) free symbolic play is a potential source of information to mental health professionals when attempting to understand the context of a child's experience of sexual abuse. Preliminary guidelines are suggested regarding the appropriate use of free symbolic play to gain information about possible sexual abuse. In addition, a case study is presented illustrating application. Furthermore, the potential impact of research comparing the free symbolic play of sexually abused and nonabused children is considered.     

Abuse of the Child Sexual Abuse Accommodation Syndrome

No abstract available for this article.     

Preventing Child Sexual Abuse: Body Safety Training for Young Children in Turkey

The “Body Safety Training Program” is an education program aimed at ensuring children are informed about their body and acquire self-protection skills. In this study, a total of 83 preschoolers were divided into experimental and control groups; based on a power analysis, 40 children comprised the experimental group, while 43 children comprised the control group. The “Body Safety Training Programme” was translated into Turkish and content validity was determined regarding the language and cultural appropriateness. The “What If Situations Test” (WIST) was administered to both groups before and after the training. Mann–Whitney U Test, Kruskal–Wallis Variance Analysis, and the Wilcoxon Signed Ranks Test were used to compare between the groups and the Spearman correlation analysis was used to determine the strength of the relationship between the dependent and independent variable. The differences between the pretest and posttest scores for the subscales (appropriate recognition, inappropriate recognition, say, do, tell, and reporting skills), and the personal safety questionnaire (PSQ) score means for the children in the experimental group were found to be statistically significant (p < .001). The posttest–pretest difference score means of the experimental group children for WIST saying, doing, telling and reporting, total skills, and PSQ were found to be statistically significant as compared to that of the control group (p < .05). The “Body Safety Training programme” is effective in increasing the child sexual abuse prevention and self-protection skills in Turkish young children.     

Pediatric HIV and Sexual Abuse

No abstract available for this article.     

Maternal Sexual Abuse of Males

This article presents one aspect of the findings of a qualitative research study which explored the impact of childhood sexual abuse on the lives of a non-clinical sample of 25 adult males who responded to advertisements for adult male survivors of childhood sexual abuse. The author conducted in-depth interviews with the men to discover how their experiences of childhood sexual abuse had influenced their psychosocial development. Thirteen of the 25 men were abused by females. This article focuses on seven men who were abused by their mothers and describes how definition, prevalence and outcomes of maternal sexual abuse are affected by male socialization, creating additional difficulties for these men. The author describes some of the psychological defence mechanisms used by this sample of men, explores some of the reasons for maternal abuse and issues to be considered by practitioners. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Sexual Abuse Prevention for Preschoolers

The purpose of this study was to measure parents' prevention-related behaviors, altitudes, and beliefs. Responses from 375 parents of preschoolers indicated a supportive attitude toward sexual abuse prevention programs, early education. and parental involvement in prevention efforts. Over half the sample reported discussing sexual abuse with theu preschoolers, and the content of their discussions is described. Reasons for not discussing the topic were obtained, and comparisons were made between parents who had and had not discussed sexual abuse with their preschoolers. Parents' beliefs regarding what concepts should bc taught and the risks and benefits associated with these programs are described. Implications of these findings for prevention policy are provided     

Child Sexual Abuse in Zimbabwe

Although child sexual abuse is a significant public health problem globally, its incidence, prevention, and management is less well described in resource-poor settings. In poorer settings prevention initiatives assume even more importance since resources for managing abused children are severely limited. This article examines the current status of policy and practice related to the prevention of child sexual abuse in Zimbabwe. It identifies implementation challenges and highlights opportunities that could be embraced to reduce CSA in Zimbabwe, based on evidence synthesized from recent work. Although Zimbabwe has a well-established legal and regulatory framework to protect children from child sexual abuse, implementation of existing policies is weak. Financial, human, and material resource constraints are frequently cited to explain limited prevention activity. Effective strategies for the prevention of child sexual abuse should focus on implementing existing legislation, targeting schoolchildren, and getting community involvement. A dedicated budget would help entrench these strategies, but gains can be achieved even in the absence of this.     

Childhood Sexual Abuse and Psychobiology

No abstract available for this article.     

Substantiation of Sexual Abuse Allegations

Professional practices and decision-making procedures in investigation of child sexual abuse were studied by interviewing child protection professionals in the southeastern U.S. regarding 175 allegations of abuse. Investigation procedures used, factors associated with the decision to substantiate, and the child protection workers' degree of confidence in their decisions were recorded for each allegation. It was found that substantiated cases: (a) involved significantly older children; (b) were more likely to involve intrusive types of abuse and children of minority race; and (c) were less likely to involve a visitation or custody dispute. Characteristics of the child's disclosure served as the primary basis for substantiation decisions, although medical evidence and affective and behavioral indicators also contributed to the decisions. Case workers were less certain of their decisions when allegations involved young children and adolescents and when allegations were made in the context of custody disputes. In terms of investigatory procedures, anatomical dolls and drawings were rarely used, alleged offenders were interviewed in fewer than one quarter of the cases, and medical and law enforcement consultations were obtained at a higher rate than mental health consultations.