NCJ Number
136532
Journal
Child Abuse and Neglect Volume: 16 Issue: 2 Dated: (1992) Pages: 273-283
Date Published
1992
Length
11 pages
Annotation
The Child Behavior Check List, the Piers-Harris Self-Esteem measure, and the Harter and Pike Self-Competence Scale were administered to a sample of 57 girls between the ages of 8 and 14; all were from dysfunctional families and half were victims of incest. In addition, the girls and their clinicians completed questionnaires and interviews.
Abstract
The study hypothesized that clinical consequences resulting from incest were not solely due to family dysfunctionality, need not appear in global measures, and would be demonstrated when specific zones of functioning were examined. As hypothesized, there were no significant differences on global measures as represented by the Check List. In specific areas, the girls who were victims of incest demonstrated significantly lower self-esteem, more troubled relationships with their mothers, more sexualized attitudes, and more aggressive and inward behaviors than girls from equally dysfunctional families who had not been abused. The results underscore the profound effect of incest on the prepubertal child. 1 table and 42 references (Author abstract modified)