Myths and Sexual Child Abuse: Identification and Elimination (From Child Abuse, P 105-112, 1988 -- See NCJ-116992)

• NCJ Number: 117005
• Author(s): B G Williams
• Date Published: 1988
• Length: 8 pages
• Sale Source: Phi Delta Kappa
• Publication Type: Issue Overview
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: From The School Counselor, V 29, N 2 (November 1981).

Annotation

Erroneous attitudes and myths regarding child sexual abuse are critically examined and dispelled.

Abstract

Studies indicate that child sexual abuse is not rare or negligible: studies have found incidences of as much as 26 percent among college women, the majority of whom had never reported the abuse. While studies suggest that perpetrators often show introversive or psychopathic personality traits and may be psychosexually immature, others have found abusive families to be demographically similar to the general population. Also contrary to myths, sexual abuse does not usually involve force; and the perpetrator usually is known to the victim. While many believe that the incidence of sexual abuse has remained relatively stable over time, some studies suggest that the increased stresses of modern society may be a contributory factor. In addition, sexual abuse appears to be associated with dysfunctional family systems. Often the abused child has assumed a parental role, the sexual relationship between the parents is impaired, all the protagonists fear family disintegration and abandonment, and the nonabusing parent consciously or unconsciously condones the abuse. In such dysfunctional family situations, the abusing and the colluding adult and the child victim display certain characteristics and indicators of the dysfunctions. 20 references.