NCJ Number
166279
Date Published
1996
Length
22 pages
Annotation
This chapter discusses the prevalence, nature, destructive effects, and mitigating effects in the abuse of adolescents.
Abstract
In a study of nonclinical and unreported adolescents totaling 3,998 students, 20 percent reported some form of physical or sexual abuse, with more girls than boys reporting sexual abuse. The true incidence of adolescent abuse, however, may far exceed the documented statistics. Types of abuse are maltreatment, medical neglect, neglect or deprivation of necessities, physical abuse, psychological or emotional maltreatment, and sexual abuse. Many professionals do not view adolescent abuse as a significant problem. In addition to varied professional responses at the intake level, legally mandated professionals may fail to report cases of adolescent abuse, so many situations go undetected and unreported. The chapter also discusses the effects of childhood abuse on adolescents. It notes that child abuse does not apparently affect each victim in a predictable or consistent fashion. Certain variables may ameliorate or exacerbate the effects of the abuse. These include the duration of the abuse, relationship to the offender, affective content, type of sexual abuse, sex of the victim, age of the victim, age difference between victim and offender, sex of the offender, parental variables, and treatment. Waterman and Kelly (1993) studied what factors lessened the negative effects of trauma in 82 children and conducted a 5-year follow-up of 40 of the original 82. They found that the following factors combined to promote healing: a warm supportive, nonpunitive, child-centered family; less family tension and fewer stressors; coping through mobilizing and reframing to increase family power; close but not enmeshed families; and decreased overt conflict and anger during problemsolving.