NCJ Number
206595
Journal
Child Abuse Review Volume: 13 Issue: 3 Dated: May-June 2004 Pages: 200-214
Date Published
May 2004
Length
15 pages
Annotation
Based on findings of the GENACIS (Gender, Alcohol and Culture: an International Study) survey, this article documents the prevalence of sexual abuse before and after age 16 in a general population survey of a representative sample of 1,052 British women and 975 British men and notes any correlations with findings on the prevalence of alcohol and other psychoactive drug use.
Abstract
The GENACIS survey encompasses over 30 countries and uses a standardized questionnaire design for obtaining data on general population demographics, behaviors, and experiences related to gender and drug use. For the women, 12.5 percent reported experiencing some form of sexual abuse before they were 16 years old; 11.7 percent of the men experienced sexual abuse before they were 16 years old. After the age of 16, the prevalence of sexual abuse remained the same as before age 16; however, for men, those reporting sexual abuse dropped to 3.2 percent. Whether experienced before or after age 16, sexual abuse was associated with the following survey findings for this sample of British adults: being single or cohabiting, higher levels of cigarette smoking, alcohol consumption, experience of alcohol-related problems, and the use of illicit drugs. Women who had been sexually abused either as children or adults reported higher levels of drinking and reported experiencing more problems due to alcohol than did other females. Compared to the abused, the nonabused drank approximately four units less in the past week, ingested about one unit less on their last drinking occasion, and reported one to two less alcohol problems in the past year. Women abused as children by both family and nonfamily members reported higher alcohol consumption on the last occasion than those abused by only one such source. Abuse by a nonfamily member was associated with higher drinking levels than abuse by a family member. For men, there were no significant findings for men in relation to abuse after 16 years old, but abuse as a child did yield significant findings regarding alcohol consumption on the last drinking occasion as well as alcohol-related problems. There were strong associations for both men and women between having been sexually abused before and after the age of 16 and cigarette smoking in the previous week. Sexual abuse experienced either before or after the age of 16 was strongly associated with illicit drug use for both men and women. These findings add to a body of existing evidence that suggests alcohol consumption is associated with sexual abuse. 3 tables and 34 references