Problems of Research in Male Child Sexual Abuse

The focus of the present paper is the main problems found in the study of male child sexual abuse. Aspects of child sexual abuse of males reviewed here include (a) definitions, (b) prevalence rates and under-reporting, (c) effects, (d) possible mechanisms of how sexual abuse affects male victims, (e) gender related risks, (f) types of abuse, (g) perpetrators of abuse, and (h) the victim/perpetrator cycle. We conclude that while much research is urgently required in this area, some tentative conclusions are warranted and some important trends are beginning to emerge for future research directions.     

Boys Abused in a Community Setting: An Analysis of Gender,Relationship, and Delayed Prosecutions in Cases of Child Sexual Abuse

ABSTRACT

Previous research on gender differences and delay of disclosure of child sexual abuse is inconclusive; some research has found that male victims are more likely to delay disclosure than female victims, while other studies have found no gender difference. The present archival study investigated this inconsistency by examining factors that interact with delay. Judicial outcomes of child sexual abuse cases were coded (N = 4237) for variables related to the offense, the complainant-accused relationship, and court proceedings. Males and females differed with respect to delay only when the relationship between the complainant and the accused was established in the community (e.g., sports coach) or was a stranger to the child. When the accused was a parent, other relative, or a non-relative connected to the child through the family, there was no difference in delay between males and females. Further, males were more vulnerable in the community, as evidenced by a higher proportion of accused community members with male than female complainants, even though males represented fewer than 25% of cases in the database. These findings may help explain inconsistencies in gender differences in delayed disclosure. Implications regarding education about child sexual abuse are discussed, with a focus on male victims.     

Theoretical perspectives of male sexual abuse: conceptualization of a case study

The purpose of this article is to demonstrate the traumatic impact that sexual abuse can have on a young male's development by addressing mediating dispositions that can render a child vulnerable to the effects of sexual abuse. Consideration is given to three different theoretical perspectives that are not exclusive to male victims but shed light on the impact that sexual abuse can have on the development of a young boy. These perspectives include early family relationships and attachment theory, developmental psychopathology, and trauma theory. These theoretical lenses provide a conceptual understanding into why some victims are vulnerable to the effects of sexual abuse. Each theoretical view is applied to a case study of an adolescent male with a history of early trauma and sexual abuse. Clinical implications are discussed.     

Theoretical Perspectives of Male Sexual Abuse: Conceptualization of a Case Study

The purpose of this article is to demonstrate the traumatic impact that sexual abuse can have on a young male's development by addressing mediating dispositions that can render a child vulnerable to the effects of sexual abuse. Consideration is given to three different theoretical perspectives that are not exclusive to male victims but shed light on the impact that sexual abuse can have on the development of a young boy. These perspectives include early family relationships and attachment theory, developmental psychopathology, and trauma theory. These theoretical lenses provide a conceptual understanding into why some victims are vulnerable to the effects of sexual abuse. Each theoretical view is applied to a case study of an adolescent male with a history of early trauma and sexual abuse. Clinical implications are discussed.     

Childhood victimization and subsequent adult revictimization assessed in a nationally representative sample of women and men

The purpose of this study was to identify whether experiences of childhood physical and/or sexual victimization would increase women's and men's risk for victimization in adulthood by different perpetrators (any perpetrator regardless of the relationship to the victim; intimate partner perpetrator; non-intimate perpetrator) using a nationally representative sample. Results of hierarchical logistic regression analyses indicated that childhood victimization increased the risk for adulthood victimization by any perpetrator for men and women, and by an intimate partner for women but not men. Female and male victims of physical and/or sexual child abuse are at higher risk for adult victimization by non-intimate perpetrators. These results suggest the appropriateness of interventions among adults or young adults who have been victims of child abuse, to prevent any future victimization in adulthood. To guide the development of such prevention programs, research is needed to identify factors that affect the probability of adulthood victimization among child abuse victims.     

The Place of Culture and Religion in Patterns of Disclosure and Reporting Sexual Abuse of Males: A Case Study of Ultra Orthodox Male Victims

ABSTRACT

This article deals with reporting patterns of sexual abuse in males in a religious-cultural context through a case study of ultra-Orthodox Jewish (Haredi) men who were young victims of sexual abuse. The study is based on in-depth interviews with 40 Haredi men. The results indicate that sexual abuse involving ultra-Orthodox boys was and is underreported. Moreover, the results indicate that even when such incidents were reported, the avenues for disclosure were parents, educational-religious figures, and friends. It was also found that silencing in matters related to sexuality, viewing sexual abuse in boys as a serious sin and taboo, and encouraging blind obedience—all of which characterize Haredi society—were factors in the underreporting. The results also show a strong tendency to cover up incidents of sexual abuse on an individual level, on a family level, and at the community level. The findings indicate a linkage between the religious and cultural background of male victims of sexual abuse and their reporting patterns.     

Study of Cases of Child Sexual Abuse Referred for Medico-Legal Examination in Cairo and Giza,Egypt,2007–2011

ABSTRACT

Child sexual abuse is a complex problem that results in detrimental effects on its victims. This study aimed to investigate the pattern of child sexual abuse in cases referred for medico-legal examination in Cairo and Giza governorates in the period between 2007–2011. The study included 813 cases of child sexual abuse. Female gender was more predominant than male gender (52.8%, 4.29 cases), and adolescents were the most frequent age group identified as victims of sexual abuse (43.8%, 356 cases). All perpetrators were male and most of them were persons outside the victims’ families (89.9%, 731 cases). It was recommended to teach and encourage children to tell their caregivers if they have been assaulted and to educate parents and caregivers on how to respond when the child discloses sexual abuse.     

Understanding child sexual abuse by Catholic priests from a situational perspective

Most sexual offense research focuses on offender motivation and individual risk factors rather than the criminal events themselves. This article provides an analysis of data from two studies on child sexual abuse by Catholic priests to help understand the opportunities clergy had or created to abuse youth. Findings show that situational factors played a role in victim choice among a heterogeneous group of abusers. Priests abused more male than female victims and had significantly greater access to male youth historically. When access to female youth increased in the 1990s, abuse of females as a percentage of victims also increased. The article concludes with a discussion about how ecological information can be used to craft intervention policies to prevent sexual offenses.     

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.     

Persistent Complications of Child Sexual Abuse: Sexually Compulsive Behaviors,Attachment, and Emotions

ABSTRACT

Child sexual abuse has the potential to cause distress for the victim across the lifespan. Romantic relationships may be particularly difficult for victims of child sexual abuse. This retrospective study examined differences in adult romantic attachment, sexually compulsive behaviors, and emotion regulation by history of child sexual abuse in a large, nonclinical sample. Those with a history of child sexual abuse reported more attachment anxiety in romantic relationships and engaged in more sexually compulsive behaviors. Overall, males displayed more sexually compulsive behaviors than females regardless of history of sexual abuse. Males with a history of sexual abuse displayed the greatest number of sexually compulsive behaviors. Surprisingly, no differences were observed in emotion regulation or attachment avoidant behaviors by history of child sexual abuse. Future research should seek to replicate current findings and examine emotion regulation difficulties experienced as a result of trauma.     

Abuse of children in day care centres: Characteristics and consequences

While day care sexual abuse cases share features in common with sexual abuse in other settings, many characteristics of abuse in day care settings merit special attention. These factors include the young age of the child victims, the involvement of multiple victims and multiple perpetrators, females as perpetrators, use of extreme threats, severity of the abuse, and in some instances ritualistic activities. Research findings support clinical impressions that children are negatively impacted by sexual abuse in day care. Consequences of abuse in day care include anxiety, excessive fearfulness, behavioural disturbances, sexual acting out and sleep disorders. Parents whose children are abused in day care centres also experience psychological distress with symptom profiles consistent with post-traumatic stress disorder. Abuse of children in day care settings warrants a specialized treatment approach. A major goal of treatment is to decrease symptomatology among all family members.     

Group Treatment of Latency-Age Male Victims of Sexual Abuse

Researchers and clinicians across the country have documented increases in reports of sexual victimization of males. Awareness of the immediate and long-term needs of young male victims has highlighted the need for specialized, multi-modal treatment programs for these youngsters. Group therapy can be an important adjunct to individual and family unit therapy with this population. This article provides concrete suggestions for developing, implementing and evaluating a group therapy program for young male victims of sexual abuse. Specific areas addressed include: selection and preparation of group members; structure, phases, and salient tasks of the group; therapeutic group activities; co-leadership issues; managing transference and countertransference in the context of group; and, methods for evaluating the group's effectiveness.     

Factors Influencing Believing and Blaming in Reports of Child Sexual Abuse: Survey of a Community Sample

ABSTRACT

Believing and blaming of alleged victims of child sexual abuse (CSA) was measured in a community sample of 202 adults. Subjects completed a questionnaire consisting of vignettes in which 11-year-old girls reported being sexually abused. A majority of respondents viewed the girl's report of sexual abuse as truthful; however, alleged victim retractions significantly reduced the credibility ratings for those reports. The effect of perpetrator socioeconomic status (SES) did not reach significance on either alleged victim believing or blaming. Females were significantly more likely than males to believe the girl's report of abuse, and more likely to believe children's reports in general. Females were significantly less likely than males to blame the girl for the occurrence of the abuse. Gender differences on believing and blaming remained significant when effects of respondent age and education were removed as covariates. Estimates of the prevalence of CSA varied widely, with no significant gender difference. Over half of the respondents believed that alleged victims aged five years or younger should be allowed to testify in court in CSA cases.     

UK Paramedics Confidence in Identifying Child Sexual Abuse: A Mixed-Methods Investigation

United Kingdom (UK) paramedics are in a prime position to identify children and young people who are victims or at risk of sexual abuse. Paramedics have access, by phone, or in person, to unprepared homes and communities which other health professionals such as social workers may not. Little research exists however, investigating UK paramedic confidence in identifying child sexual abuse. This mixed-method explanatory sequential investigation used the self-reported confidence levels of 276 UK paramedics to inform the design of seven semi-structured focus groups with 25 UK paramedics from a large ambulance service with operating models similar to all UK services. Multiple factors contribute to a lack of confidence in identifying child sexual abuse, child sexual exploitation, and female genital mutilation, including a perceived lack of exposure to sexual abuse, the perceived hidden nature of sexual abuse, and the lack of physical symptoms and examination. An overarching lack of knowledge is the most significant contributor to a lack of confidence which in turn perpetuates misinformation surrounding prevalence, location, and the signs and symptoms of sexual abuse. These findings suggest a lack of sufficient training and a need for further research evaluating the content of current training and its method of delivery.     

Eliciting Accounts of Alleged Child Sexual Abuse: How Do Children Report Touch?

Investigative interviewers frequently question alleged victims of child sexual abuse about any touching or bodily contact that might have occurred. In the present study of forensic interviews with 192 alleged sexual abuse victims, between 4 and 13 years of age, we examined the frequency with which alleged victims reported bodily contact as “touch” and the types of prompts associated with “touch” reports. Even young alleged victims of sexual abuse reported bodily contact as “touch,” and they used the word “touch” more frequently in response to recall than recognition prompts. Regardless of age, children typically referred to “touch” before interviewers used this term, suggesting that even young children are able to report “touch” without being cued by interviewers.     

Maladaptive Schemas as Mediators in the Relationship Between Child Sexual Abuse and Displaced Aggression

Child sexual abuse is one of the most serious forms of abuse due to the psychological consequences that persist even into adulthood. Expressions of anger among child sexual abuse survivors remain common even years after the event. While child sexual abuse has been extensively studied, the expression of displaced aggression has been studied less. Some factors, such as the maladaptive early schemas, might account for this deficiency. The objective of this study was to analyze the relationships between child sexual abuse, displaced aggression, and these schemas according to gender and determine if these early schemas mediate the relationship between child sexual abuse and displaced aggression. A total of 168 Spanish subjects who were victims of child sexual abuse completed measures of childhood trauma, displaced aggression, and early maladaptive schemas. The results depict the relationship between child sexual abuse, displaced aggression, and early maladaptive schemas. Women scored higher than men in child sexual abuse, emotional abuse, disconnection or rejection and impaired autonomy. Mediational analysis found a significant mediation effect of disconnection or rejection on the relationship between child sexual abuse and displaced aggression; however, impaired autonomy did not mediate significantly.     

Factors Related to Prosecution of Child Sexual Abuse Cases

ABSTRACT

This study explored how various factors regarding the victim, offender, abuse situation, and case evidence were related to prosecution decisions in child sexual abuse cases. Data were collected from records of 200 closed child sexual abuse cases served at a southwestern United States agency during 1989–1990. Results indicated that cases involving recently reported abuse and offenders who were charged with abusing multiple child victims were significantly more likely to be prosecuted than cases involving less recently reported abuse and offenders charged with abusing only one victim, respectively. In terms of the victim-offender relationship, prosecution was most likely for cases with offenders who were strangers, next most likely for acquaintances and step and extended family members, and least likely for biological nuclear family members. Also, cases with medical evidence of abuse were more likely to be prosecuted than cases without medical evidence only when serious abuse was involved. In addition, prosecution was significantly less likely for cases with younger victims than for cases with older victims. Seriousness of abuse, the presence of medical evidence, and recency of abuse did not account for this victim age-prosecution status relationship. Furthermore, no cases involving possible custody disputes were prosecuted. Implications are discussed concerning the need for focused and integrated efforts in responding to allegations of child sexual abuse.     

Group therapy with sexually molested children

It should be stressed that the young children's group was only a part of the overall treatment approach that forms the family context of the Child Sexual Abuse Treatment Program. Because the therapists also work with entire families, they have come to accept that the child is not the only victim. Often the mothers and fathers in this program were themselves victims of sexual assaults when they were children, and have carried this victim roles with them into adulthood. A child growing up in this family system will learn the victim role well. Her denial and/or fear of sexual aggression, as well as her role models for parenting, will perpetuate the cycle and make the sexual abuse of her own children a distinct possibility. The play therapy treatment seeks to break this cycle and restore the young child victim's self-respect by teaching new skills and providing different role models. The therapy seeks to help her tap her own power to become an adequate adult. Such therapeutic "undoing" or self-reconstruction is a long process which probably takes as many paths as there are victims. Adults victimized as children frequently report periods of repression and denial, and it is likely that direct treatment of the child victim, when the incest comes to light, mitigates against development of such repression. The natural healing process must be respected. The child needs time to integrate the experience and its painful aftermath. Changing and healing do not take place all at once, or after one period of intervention. Therefore one important aspect of such therapeutic work is to give the child victims the tools to reach out for help and support in the future, when the pain of this early childhood experience may once again be an obstacle to growth.     

Self Psychology and Male Child Sexual Abuse: Healing Relational Betrayal

The prevalence of male child sexual abuse (MCSA) is higher than initially thought with up to 26 % of men in community samples reporting sexual abuse in childhood, and up to 36 % of men in clinical samples reporting childhood sexual abuse. Disclosure of MCSA is complex because of men’s difficulties in viewing themselves as victims, especially of sexual violence. This difficulty is exacerbated by societal attitudes that sexual abuse rarely occurs with boys, and is further complicated with the taboo of victimization by same sex perpetrators. Too often, the response to disclosure is disbelief and minimization. For these reasons disclosure is often delayed or withheld thus prolonging the abuse. The negative effects of child sexual abuse are well documented and far reaching with depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, addictions, sexual dysfunction and impaired interpersonal relations as common presenting issues in therapy. Treatment is indicated for significant numbers of male survivors. This paper identifies aspects of interpersonal relational difficulties commonly experienced by male sexual abuse survivors, and describes self psychology as guiding a clinical approach to address these interpersonal difficulties. The application of self psychology with male sexual abuse survivors is traced and discussed through the use of a clinical case study with Adam.