Reports of childhood sexual abuse by adolescents and young adults: stability over time

The consistency of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) reporting was explored in this study. Two-hundred seventeen adolescents and young adults (ages 14-24) enrolled in urban health care clinics completed self-report questionnaires assessing CSA and other problem behaviors at enrollment and at 7 months. Results indicated that the stability of CSA self-report at two time points was poor (58% consistent nonreporters of CSA, 20% consistent reporters, 22% inconsistent reporters). Consistent and inconsistent reporters were differentiated on risk measures. Adolescents who endorsed more items from the CSA scale were five times more likely to be consistent reporters. In sum, adolescent CSA reporting was quite inconsistent over time. Using multi-item scales and assessing CSA at two time points enhances accuracy of reporting.     

Does the mandate make a difference? reporting decisions in emotional abuse

Mandated (N = 57) and non‐mandated (N = 94) reporters were questioned as to their perceptions of the seriousness of 20 vignettes related to child emotional abuse, as well as their willingness to report the actions contained in the vignettes to child protective services. No difference was observed between mandated and non‐mandated reporters on the mean number of vignettes considered reportable. In addition, several psychosocial variables, including perceptions of teasing, political viewpoint, tendencies towards diffuse responsibility, perceptions of child protective services (CPS) and attitude towards helping others, were measured. Separate regression equations for mandated and non‐mandated reporters showed two different models in predicting reporting tendencies. Mandated reporters were most affected by the seriousness of the situation and their willingness to engage in prosocial behaviour, whereas non‐mandated reporters were most motivated by judgements of the seriousness of the abusive situation and their faith in child protective services. Being a male was also observed to be more predictive of reporting for non‐mandated reporters. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Youth-centred practice: Positive youth development practices and pathways to better outcomes for vulnerable youth

This paper reports on a longitudinal study of 1012 youth (aged 13–17 years). Half were clients of two or more services and were followed for three years to enable analysis of the impact over time of services delivered using positive youth development practices (PYD). Youth completed self-report questionnaires administered by trained interviewers. It was hypothesised that youth reporting two positive service experiences at Time 1 would report better wellbeing and resilience and lower risk at Time 3 than youth reporting inconsistent or two negative service experiences at Time 1. MANCOVA was used to determine the relationships between service quality and wellbeing, resilience, and risk, with three covariates that assessed the presence of positive relational resources (with caregivers, friends and school) around youth. Results indicated that service quality at Time 1 had a positive effect on wellbeing and resilience at Time 3, but not on risk levels. The importance of consistent use of PYD approaches across services is discussed, as is the need for services to more directly address risk levels for vulnerable youth.     

Mandated reporting thresholds for community professionals

This study examines how community-based mandated reporters understand and interpret reasonable suspicion, the standard threshold for mandated reporting of suspected child abuse. Respondents were asked to identify the probability necessary for "suspicion of child abuse" to constitute reasonable suspicion. Data were analyzed for internal consistency, evidence of a group standard, and associations with professional and educational demographics. There was a 90.4% response rate (1,233/1,364). On both ordinal probability and estimated probability scales, respondents demonstrated wide variability in the thresholds they identified for what constitutes reasonable suspicion. Comparing individual responses for the two scales, 83% were inconsistent. Responses on the estimated probability scale were correlated with frequency of reporting child abuse, professional background, and prior education on child abuse. Lack of consensus in how community professionals interpret reasonable suspicion raises the question of whether more specific training is needed for this threshold to be understood, interpreted, and applied in a consistent manner.     

Letters to the editor

Relatively little attention has been paid to the use and importance of labels used by men who have sex with men to describe insertive or receptive sexual behavior during intercourse. This study examines sexual self‐labels, sexual behavior, HIV transmission risk, and psychological functioning among 205 HIV‐seropositive men who have sex with men. The majority of participants (88%) identified as a “top, “ a “bottom, “ or “versatile. “ Tops were more likely to engage in insertive anal intercourse than bottoms, and bottoms were more likely to engage in receptive anal intercourse than tops, with versatiles reporting intermediate rates of both behaviors. Although the results suggest preliminary evidence regarding the predictive utility of self‐labels, sexual behaviors of self‐label groups were greatly overlapping. Differences were found among self‐label groups in gay self‐identification, internalized homophobia, sexual sensation seeking, and anxiety. Results suggest an added value in assessing self‐labels in addition to asking about sexual behavior.     

Factors related to childhood sexual abuse among gay/bisexual male Internet escorts

This exploratory investigation examined the relationship between childhood sexual abuse (CSA) and related psychosocial characteristics and sexual behaviors among 46 gay/bisexual male escorts who advertise via the Internet. More than a quarter of men (28.3%) reported some history of CSA. Men reporting CSA were more likely to be from an ethnic minority group, identify as bisexual, have a primary male partner, and were less likely to identify an anal receptive ("bottom") sexual role preference. Men with a history of CSA were more likely to report unprotected sex with work-related partners, increased internalized homophobia, and decreased adolescent isolation. Interventions designed for male escorts with a history of CSA should emphasize safer sex strategies with work partners and reducing internalized homophobia.     

Childhood sexual abuse patterns, psychosocial correlates, and treatment outcomes among adults in drug abuse treatment

This study reports on the effects of having a history of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) on treatment outcomes among substance abusing men and women (N = 2,434) in a national, multisite study of drug treatment outcomes. A history of CSA was reported by 27.2% of the women and 9.2% of the men. Controlling for gender, compared to patients without CSA, patients reporting CSA were younger at entry into the current drug treatment, were more likely to be White, were more likely to have a comorbid mental disorder, be alcohol or cocaine dependent, had higher levels of criminal activities, had a higher level of problem recognition, and had a more negative peer influence. Controlling for these correlates, a history of abuse was related to a lower likelihood of posttreatment abstinence.     

Partner Appraisal and Marital Satisfaction: The Role of Self‐Esteem and Depression

This study examined whether people are more maritally satisfied when the valence of their partner's view of them is congruent with the valence of their self‐view. In doing so, competing hypotheses derived from self‐verification theory and self‐esteem enhancement theory were examined. Married couples, recruited from the community and mental health facilities, completed measures of marital satisfaction, self‐esteem, depression, and rated their spouse on a wide array of personality traits, both depressionrelated and depressionneutral. Regardless of self‐esteem and depression level, and across trait categories, targets were more maritally satisfied when their partners viewed them positively and less satisfied when their partners viewed them negatively. Thus, findings were inconsistent with self‐verification theory and consistent with a self‐esteem enhancement model.     

Men Sexually Interested in Transwomen (MSTW): Gendered Embodiment and the Construction of Sexual Desire

Unreliable self‐reporting of sexual behavior has been suggested as a major cause of variance in survey research. In addition, differing gender‐related biases are thought to account for discrepancies in reports of oral and anal sex. Insufficient attention, however, has been given to assessing the reliability of the sexual partner's reports. Data obtained from 70 couples concerning 68 sexual behaviors was reviewed. Four different reliability indices yielded moderate to substantial agreement. These included a simple percentage criterion of 87%, a Kappa of .67, and conditional probabilities of .77 and.91. Previously reported discrepancies in the reporting of oral and anal sex were not found. Kappa was found to be superior to simple percentage agreement, but produced overly conservative reliability estimates when derived from behaviors that occur at either high or low base‐rates. The two conditional probability indices are proposed for use in conjunction with Kappa to evaluate the reliability of partner data.     

The effects of secondary stimulus characteristics on men's sexual arousal

The penile plethysmograph is believed by many researchers and clinicians to be the most valid and reliable instrument currently available for assessing male sexual arousal patterns. Stimuli used to elicit sexual arousal in research studies as well as in plethysmographic assessments, however, have varied considerably. We examined the effects of two stimulus characteristics that may greatly influence the measurement of male sexual arousal—the type of sexual behavior depicted and the presence of accompanying audio cues. The sexual arousal of 18 male college students was individually assessed via penile plethysmograph and self‐report while they viewed 60‐second erotic video clips. Each video clip depicted a single sexual behavior; half of the clips were presented with accompanying audio. Separate 2 (sound) x 6 (behavior) x 2 (session) repeated measures ANOVAs revealed significant main effects for sound and behavior for both the physiological and self‐report data, as well as a significant sound x behavior interaction for the self‐report data. The physiological data and self‐report data were also highly correlated (r = .78). Results are discussed in the context of implications for male sexual arousal research and penile plethysmographic assessments.     

Discrepancies Between Retrospective and Actual Self‐Reports of Peer Victimization Six Years Earlier

Retrospective peer victimization reports may be inaccurate. With an ethnically and sexually diverse sample, this study compared adolescents’ self‐reported peer victimization in 6th grade to their own retrospective reports of 6th‐grade victimization when they were in the 12th grade, controlling for past and current adjustment. Overall, 12th graders’ retrospective victimization reports correlated with their own earlier 6th‐grade self‐reports and there was a general tendency to underreport retrospectively. Underreporters were distinguished by worse past 6th‐grade adjustment, whereas overreporters were distinguished by worse current (12th‐grade) adjustment. Higher current depressive symptoms and social anxiety, and lower current self‐worth may be important control variables when collecting retrospective reports of victimization because current adjustment may augment participants’ recollection of past experiences.     

Characteristics of Sexually Abused Children and Their Nonoffending Mothers Followed by Child Welfare Services: The Role of a Maternal History of Child Sexual Abuse

Considering the importance of mother’s support in the adaptation of a sexually abused child, it is relevant to determine if the mothers and children involved in an intergenerational cycle of child sexual victimization differ from dyads in which only the child has been abused. The purpose of this study was to compare mother–child dyads with sexually abused children according to whether the mother had herself been victim of child sexual abuse. The sample included 87 dyads with sexually abused children aged 3–18 years old and their mothers (44 reporting maternal and child abuse), followed by social welfare services of the province of Quebec (Canada). The two groups of mothers were compared on their past family abuse experiences and past family relations, their mental health history, their current psychological distress, their parenting behaviors, and their current levels of family functioning. Children were compared on their adaptation. Multivariate analyses indicated that mothers reporting child sexual abuse were more likely to report more other maltreatments in their childhood and greater prevalence of lifetime history of alcohol abuse disorders, dysthymia, and panic disorder compared with mothers who had not experienced CSA. Compared to children whose mothers had not experienced CSA, those whose mothers had experienced CSA showed higher rates of problems behaviors and were more likely to report having been sexually abused by a trusted person. These results highlight the specific clinical needs for the assessment and treatment for sexually abused children whose mothers experienced child sexual abuse.     

The Role of Acceptance of Violence Beliefs and Social Information Processing on Dating Violence Perpetration

This study's main objective was to explore whether beliefs legitimizing dating violence predict dysfunctional social information processing (SIP) when adolescents deal with ambiguous dating situations, and whether this more proximal cognitive processing acts as a mediator between acceptance of violence beliefs and dating violence perpetration. Participants were 855 high school students who completed self‐report measures at three time points, with a 1‐year interval between them. SIP did not act as a mediator, but the emergence of anger emotions in dating conflict situations, along with aggression‐justifying beliefs, were revealed as essential in explaining dating violence. Previous aggression also explained a subsequent higher anticipation of positive consequences for aggressive acts. We discuss the implications for prevention and treatment strategies with adolescents.     

The risk of Telling: A Dyadic Perspective on Romantic Partners’ Responses to Child Sexual Abuse Disclosure and Their Associations with Sexual and Relationship Satisfaction

Among 70 community couples who reported childhood sexual abuse (CSA) and disclosure to their partner, this study examined associations between survivors’ perception of partner responses to their disclosure, and both partners’ sexual and relationship satisfaction. Participants completed self‐report questionnaires online. Results of path analyses within an actor–partner interdependence model indicated that survivors’ perceived partner responses of emotional support to disclosure were associated with their own and their partners’ higher sexual satisfaction. Survivors’ perceived responses of being stigmatized/treated differently by the partner were associated with their own and their partners’ poorer relationship satisfaction. Findings suggest that survivor‐perceived partner responses to the disclosure of CSA can have a positive and a negative impact on the sexual and relationship satisfaction of both partners.     

Perceived Job Insecurity and Health: Do Duration and Timing Matter?

I examine whether the health penalties of perceived job insecurity are influenced by the duration of the experience and the age at which it is encountered. Analyses of a national panel data set of Americans (N = 1,065) reveal a decrease in health among workers reporting persistent exposure to the threat of job loss; however, these health penalties are experienced unevenly across age groups, with young workers (18–34) reporting the fewest health penalties in response to persistent insecurity. In contrast, while insecure middle‐aged and older workers report similar levels of psychological distress and self‐rated health, the former are more adversely affected with respect to their emotional well‐being. I discuss potential cohort and life stage interpretations for these age patterns in the stress of insecure work.     

Ethical and legal challenges of mandated child abuse reporters

Background

Mandated reporters inconsistently report child abuse cases. Ethical dilemmas and legal challenges to reporting arise creating barriers to assist abused children and their families.

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to describe professionals' ethical dilemmas and legal challenges to reporting child abuse.

Method

A qualitative study was conducted to explore the ethical and legal challenges of mandated reporters when reporting child abuse. Individual interviews between 60 and 100 min were conducted with a purposive sample of 18 mandated reporters including physicians, nurses, social workers, and teachers. Grounded theory methodology was used to develop categorical themes that reflected mandated reporters' experiences and challenges.

Result

Three themes emerged from the data: conflicts, time, and law as refuge. Professionals described challenges in balancing autonomy, beneficence, nonmaleficence, and justice. There was no best solution to do no harm. The associated stigma and pressure of cultural and secular norms of child abuse inhibit professionals' action based on legal and ethical requirements. The theme of time included limited time and an uncertain future. The law provides security and refuge for professionals to find a solution to the challenges of reporting child abuse.

Conclusion

The ethical and legal challenges of reporting child abuse create complex dilemmas for mandated reporters. Ethical principles are in constant opposition when negotiating rights of children and rights of parents. Supportive structures and education are needed to assist professionals in meeting their reporting obligation and solving their dilemmas.     

Emotional closeness with perpetrators and amnesia for child sexual abuse

Over the past decade, a contentious debate regarding delayed memories of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) has existed. In order to address this debate, 240 female participants completed questions about CSA, the Dissociative Experience Scale (Bernstein & Putnam, 1986), Perceived Emotional Closeness with Perpetrator Scale (Schultz, Passmore, & Yoder, 2000), and the Gudjonsson Suggestibility Scale 2 (GSS 2) (Gudjonsson, 1987). Eighty-two (36%) reported CSA and 37% of these indicated memory disturbances for the CSA. Participants reporting memory disturbances also reported significantly higher numbers of perpetrators, chemical abuse in their families, and closer relationships with the perpetrator(s) than participants reporting no memory disturbances. Implications for clinicians working with clients reporting CSA are discussed.     

Professionals’ Attitude Toward Reporting Child Sexual Abuse in Saudi Arabia

Child sexual abuse (CSA) requires specialized knowledge and training that includes forensic interview skills. The aim of this study was to determine variations in professionals’ attitudes toward CSA by measuring three aspects of forensic attitudes (sensitivity, specificity, and skepticism) and evaluating disagreements concerning the assessment of CSA cases in Saudi Arabia. A cross-sectional, web-based study, in which the Child Forensic Attitude Scale was used to measure professionals’ attitudes, was conducted. Professionals who dealt with suspected cases of CSA as part of their jobs or were in professions that necessitated involvement with such cases, were selected as participants. Of 327 participants, 53% were aged ≤40 years, and 54% were men. In addition, 24% were doctors/nurses, 20% were therapists/psychiatrists, 24% were social workers, 17% were educators, 9% were law enforcement professionals, and 5% were medical examiners. Attitude subscale scores differed significantly according to participants’ sex, specialty, and training. Women, healthcare professionals, and those who had participated in more than five training courses were more concerned about the underreporting of abuse (high sensitivity) relative to other professionals. In comparison, men, medical examiners, law enforcement officers, and undertrained professionals tended to underreport suspected sexual abuse cases (high specificity). High specificity in attitudes toward suspected cases of CSA could affect professionals’ judgment and contribute to low reporting rates. Certain strategies, including increasing self-awareness of personal bias, specific CSA recognition courses, and team approaches to case assessment and management, should be implemented to control the influence of subjective factors.     

Parental Discussion of Child Sexual Abuse: Is It Associated with the Parenting Practices of Involvement,Monitoring, and General Communication?

We investigated whether parents who reported more positive parenting practices (i.e., monitoring, involvement, and communication) reported more discussion of child sexual abuse (CSA) with their children. Parents from Australia and the UK (N = 248), with children aged 6 to 11 years, completed an online survey. About half of parents reported directly discussing CSA, whereas 35% reported telling their children that CSA perpetrators may be family members. Rates of discussion were higher for other CSA-related topics such as body integrity and abduction. Correlational analyses showed that parents who reported speaking to their children about CSA also reported more positive parenting practices, more discussion of other sensitive topics, and assessed CSA risk for children (in general) to be higher. Discussion of CSA risk was not associated with parents' CSA knowledge, confidence or appraisal of own-child risk. Parents higher in positive parenting believed their children to be at less CSA risk. Parents who appraised higher own-child risk reported less positive parenting practices and were less confident about their parenting and their ability to protect their children from CSA. The findings are the first to report on the associations of parenting practices with parents' CSA discussion with their children.