Childhood Sexually Transmitted Diseases and Child Sexual Abuse: Results of a Canadian Survey of Three Professional Groups

• NCJ Number: 156877
• Journal: Child Abuse and Neglect Volume: 19 Issue: 9 Dated: (September 1995) Pages: 1019-1029
• Author(s): B H Thomas; E Jamieson
• Date Published: 1995
• Length: 11 pages
• Grant Number(s): H4001-8-2055/01/SS
• Sponsoring Agency: Canada Dept of National Health and Welfare
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Survey
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

A national survey sought to determine the knowledge and attitudes of Canadian health and social service professionals about the occurrence of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) in children and its implications for child sexual abuse.

Abstract

A questionnaire was mailed to a random sample of 4,500 nurses, physicians, and youth/social workers across the country. Response rates varied from over 60 percent of the nurses and youth/social workers to 38 percent of the physicians. Results revealed that nurses and youth/social workers were younger than physicians, had a proportionately higher number of females within their groups, and more often reported that they had or might have been sexually abused as children. Although no statistically significant difference existed among the groups on the composite knowledge score, physicians scored higher than the other two groups on knowledge about STDs; youth/social workers had the highest knowledge scores about sexual abuse. The groups also differed somewhat in their attitudes. Overall, a relatively low proportion of the participants reported confidence in their ability to treat children with STDs or child sexual abuse. Tables and 30 references (Author abstract modified)