NCJ Number
145810
Journal
Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Volume: 32 Issue: 5 Dated: (September 1993) Pages: 934-939
Date Published
1993
Length
6 pages
Annotation
In evaluating whether the level of distress in sexually abused girls was predicted by the perpetrator-victim relationship, abuse type, use of force, removal from the home, and race or ethnicity, this study found that sexual abuse of children caused different levels of emotional distress.
Abstract
Study subjects were recruited through two programs in a southern California county serving children recently identified as sexually abused. Questionnaires completed by 75 girls provided information on depression, anxiety, and self-worth, and their responses were trichotomized into distress levels. It was found that sexual penetration predicted higher levels of distress on depression and self- worth measures. Force predicted higher levels of distress on those measures when the perpetrator was not a father figure and lower levels of distress when the abuser was a father figure. Differential effects observed in the study may be related to issues of self-blame and responsibility that vary with the perpetrator-victim relationship and may be useful in developing appropriate interventions. Findings highlight the need for additional research on risk factors in sexual abuse. 21 references and 4 tables