NCJ Number
146941
Journal
Child Abuse and Neglect Volume: 18 Issue: 1 Dated: (January 1994) Pages: 63-71
Date Published
1994
Length
9 pages
Annotation
This study investigated the relationship between preabuse factors and psychological symptoms in 94 sexually abused girls between 6 and 12 years of age; the study sample also included 89 clinical controls and 75 normal controls.
Abstract
The sexually abused group consisted of referrals from three rape crisis centers; 25 girls were abused only once, genital fondling was involved in 51 cases, and the remaining girls were subjected to intercourse. Preabuse information was obtained with the Developmental, Psychiatric, and Medical History (DPM). Symptom measures included the Children's Depression Inventory (CDI), the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory for Children, the Piers-Harris Children's Self-Concept Scale (CSCS), and the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL, parent version). Results indicated that sexually abused and clinical control groups had significantly more prior developmental and psychiatric problems and significantly more past stressors on the DPM than the normal control group. In addition, for the sexually abused group, prior developmental and psychiatric problems were clearly associated with increased behavioral and emotional problems on the CBCL, self-reported depressive symptoms on the CDI, and lower self-esteem on the CSCS. Parallel results were found in the clinical control group, although correlations were higher in the sexual abuse group. Findings suggest that many variables affect the psychological adjustment of sexually abused children, including preabuse and postabuse factors and trauma associated with the abusive experience itself. 29 references and 3 tables