NCJ Number
147501
Journal
Child Abuse and Neglect Volume: 18 Issue: 3 Dated: (March 1994) Pages: 215- 224
Date Published
1994
Length
10 pages
Annotation
Data from 982 mothers who reported on child care and living arrangements involving uncles, together with case records documenting the sexual abuse of 171 children by 148 uncles, were used to examine the ways in which uncles ordinarily become involved with children, the conditions under which that involvement becomes associated with sexual abuse, and the role gender plays in this abuse.
Abstract
The mothers were randomly selected from birth certificates from between May 1984 and April 1990 in a midwestern county and were interviewed to establish baselines of normal aunt and uncle involvement with nieces and nephews. The abuse cases involved aunts or uncles and were located in the offices of a midwestern child protection agency encompassing the target county used in the child care survey. Findings revealed that although aunts were responsible for 28 times more child care than uncles, uncles were responsible for 48 times more child sexual abuse than aunts. Although female children did not have more exposure to uncles than do male children, they appeared four times more likely to be victimized. About 19 percent of the abusive uncles lived with the children they abused, and most of the rest came into contact with them as child care providers or during overnight visits. Results indicated the need for improved prevention and intervention, including education of children, parents, and male secondary students; more information to families with extensive contact with uncles; and protection of abused nieces and nephews from further assaults. Tables and 26 references (Author abstract modified)