Factors Associated With Disclosure During Child Sexual Abuse Assessment

• NCJ Number: 165345
• Journal: Journal of Child Sexual Abuse Volume: 5 Issue: 3 Dated: (1996) Pages: 1-19
• Author(s): L T Gries; D S Goh; J Cavanaugh
• Date Published: 1996
• Length: 19 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This study investigated the relationship among the eliciting stimulus for disclosure of child sexual abuse, the age and gender of the child, and the type of sexual abuse reported by the child.

Abstract

The sample was composed of 96 children between 3 and 17 years of age. All of the subjects were in foster-care placement at the time of assessment and were referred for evaluation due to suspicion of sexual abuse or a previous disclosure by the subject or another person. Each child suspected of being sexually abused was seen for a minimum of two 1 1/2- to 2-hour sessions. No assessment required more than three sessions. Each assessment included a brief developmental assessment of language, memory, visual-perceptual organization, and understanding of distinctions between truth and lie and between real and make-believe. A "Psychological Evaluation and Child Sexual Abuse Assessment" report was completed for each child interviewed. The report was based upon the data obtained during the evaluation sessions and from data supplied by the foster parent and caseworker. Disclosures were given verbatim from the child's actual statements during the sessions. Findings show that approximately two-thirds of the subjects disclosed at least one type of sexual abuse, with almost 40 percent of those who had not previously disclosed disclosing for the first time. Fondling, physical abuse, genital penetration, and touching the offender were found to be the most frequently disclosed types of sexual abuse. "Personal history" and "interview/worst experience" were the most effective stimuli in eliciting disclosure. A number of significant differential effects due to age, gender, and diagnosed disorder of the subject were found on the eliciting stimuli and/or types of sexual abuse disclosed. Implications of these findings for the practice of child sexual abuse assessment are discussed. 4 tables and 17 references