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FOLLOW-UP PILOT STUDY ON THE PSYCHOLOGICAL ADJUSTMENT OF A SAMPLE OF SEXUALLY ABUSED GIRLS

NCJ Number
145387
Journal
Journal of Child Sexual Abuse Volume: 2 Issue: 1 Dated: (1993) Pages: 37-46
Author(s)
R N Mellott; W G Wagner
Date Published
1993
Length
10 pages
Annotation
The psychological adjustment of a sample of 10 older female molestation victims was assessed at least 12 months after the date of their initial clinic evaluation.
Abstract
The girls' adjustment was measured using the Piers-Harris Children's Self-Concept Scale, the Children's Depression Inventory, and the Hopelessness Scale. A comparison of pre- and post-test scores showed that the victims improved on five of the six Piers-Harris subscales and the rate of suicidal ideation fell from 70 percent to 2 percent. All participants had received some sort of counseling services, including individual, group, and family therapy, following their initial assessments. However, the absence in this study of a no- treatment control group and a representative sample of victims preclude definitive conclusions. 2 tables and 19 references