NCJ Number
154624
Journal
Journal of Child Sexual Abuse Volume: 3 Issue: 4 Dated: (1994) Pages: 79-91
Date Published
1994
Length
13 pages
Annotation
Two studies were conducted to measure foster parents' perceptions of the behavioral problems of sexually abused children in their care.
Abstract
The first study received 300 completed questionnaires from a survey of all licensed foster care families in a Midwestern State. Foster parents were asked to rate the abused children who had been in their care on a list of 20 behavioral problems that were selected from extant child abuse literature. The second study was completed during foster parent training sessions on sexual abuse. Seventy-three foster parents completed training. One parent from each family was asked to rate the behavioral problems of a sexually abused child currently in care on a standardized behavior rating scale (The Child Behavior Checklist). Although content areas addressed by the instruments used in the two studies are somewhat different, there was some convergence of findings between survey results and the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL). Both instruments suggest problems with school, clinging behavior, and aggressive behavior. Problems with social skills, immaturity, and antisocial behavior were indicated by CBCL results. The results are generally consistent with previous child sexual abuse studies that have used the CBCL, but there is some indication that the foster care sample is even more maladjusted than the general population of sexually abused children. 4 tables and 19 references