NCJ Number
237200
Journal
Child Abuse & Neglect Volume: 35 Issue: 12 Dated: December 2011 Pages: 1022-1031
Date Published
December 2011
Length
10 pages
Annotation
This study examined the prevalence of child sexual abuse in coastal regions of Columbia to determine the extent to which parent-child interaction decreased the occurrence of the abuse.
Abstract
Findings from the study show that 1.2 percent of mothers in the coastal regions of Columbia reported that their children had been sexually abused, and households with only boys reported less sexual abuse compared to households with girls and those with a greater number of children. The study also found that one measure of parent-child interaction - communication - was a significant predictor of child sexual abuse. The other two measures of parent-child interaction - affection and negative interactions - did not significantly affect the incidence of sexual abuse. Other predictors of child sexual abuse included the occupation of the mother, the mother's belief in the idea of "machismo," and the presence of intimate partner violence in the household. This study examined the prevalence of child sexual abuse in coastal regions of Columbia to assess the role that parent-child interaction has on decreasing the occurrence of the abuse. Data for the study were obtained from interviews with mothers in 1,089 households. Parent-child interactions and household characteristics were examined to determine the extent to which they influenced the occurrence of the abuse. The findings indicate that more programs and interventions are needed in the country to address the problem of child sexual abuse. Tables and references