NCJ Number
253890
Journal
Journal of Interpersonal Violence Volume: 33 Issue: 24 Dated: 2019 Pages: 3829-3839
Date Published
2019
Length
11 pages
Annotation
The methodology and findings are presented for a study that conducted telephone interviews with a convenience sample of 46 parents and 11 adolescents who were victims of child sexual abuse, some of whom were portrayed in sexual abuse images; and online surveys were completed by 133 adult survivors depicted in sexual abuse images.
Abstract
Victims portrayed in sexual abuse images may resist participation in research because of embarrassment or shame due to the sensitive nature and potential permanency of images; however, no studies of which the authors of this article are aware have examined victim reactions to participating in research after experiencing this type of crime. The first lesson of the current study was that few agencies have tracked this type of crime. This lack of tracking raises the question as to what types of data should be collected and tracked as part of an investigation. The second lesson was that few victims at the two participating agencies had been portrayed in sexual abuse images (4-5 percent). The third lesson was that once possible cases were identified, a relatively high percentage gave consent to contact and completed interviews. This implies that researchers and service providers should not be hesitant about conducting research after an investigation of child sexual abuse. The fourth lesson was that most participants reported not being upset by the questions. The researchers hope that the data presented in this study will encourage agencies to reconsider the types of data being tracked and will encourage researchers to conduct in-depth research with populations that are often difficult to reach, so the professional response to child victimization will continue to improve. (publisher abstract modified)