Molestation and the Onset of Puberty: Data From 365 Adults Molested as Children

• NCJ Number: 111231
• Journal: Child Abuse and Neglect Volume: 12 Issue: 1 Dated: (1988) Pages: 73-81
• Author(s): K A Kendall-Tackett; A F Simon
• Date Published: 1988
• Length: 8 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: Presented as part of a symposium at the 1986 Western Psychological Association Convention, Seattle, Washington.

Annotation

Age at onset and duration over time of sexual abuse were examined in intake interview data for 365 adults molested as children.

Abstract

Respondents were entering a child sexual abuse treatment program in San Jose, Calif.; interviews were conducted between 1984 and 1985. Subjects ranged in age from 18 to 59; 89 percent were female, 11 percent were male. Although some subjects had waited as long as 40 years before seeking treatment, 16 years was the median between the end of molestation and first seeking treatment. Only 17.8 percent had reported the molestation to a law enforcement agency. The average age of onset molestation was 7.5 years, with a range of 6 months to 20 years. Average age at which molestation was ended was 13, with a range of 3 to 31 years. The duration ranged from 0 to 24 years. One year or less was the single most frequently reported duration, although it accounted for only 15 percent of the sample. Of the 55 victims whose molestation lasted less than a year, only 22 percent involved sexual intercourse. This supports the idea that even so-called less serious sexual victimization of short duration can be traumatic for victims, as all subjects were seeking therapy for their sexual abuse experience. 3 figures and 17 references.