NCJ Number
103032
Journal
Journal of Interpersonal Violence Volume: 1 Issue: 3 Dated: (September 1986) Pages: 309-325
Date Published
1986
Length
17 pages
Annotation
Open-ended interviews were conducted with 20 sexually abused girls, 10 to 15 years old, to examine their knowledge of sexuality and child sexual abuse.
Abstract
Of these girls, 8 were abused by multiple offenders; 13 perpetrators were family members, 2 were strangers, and the remainder were friends of the family or acquaintances of the victim. Results indicate that most of these victims received little or no information on sexuality or child sexual abuse from parents or schools. The few who received warnings about molestation were unable to connect the warnings to the perpetrator's behavior. Peers were the most common source of sexual information or misinformation. Thus, the sexual abuse occurred in a knowledge vacuum, with most victims failing to understand the abuse and lacking the vocabulary to discuss it. Results suggest that sex education and sex abuse education are necessary, and that children are most likely to benefit if they are provided with concrete information beginning at a very early age. Programs to prevent the development of sexually abusive behaviors in the first place also are needed. 2 notes and 9 references. (Author abstract modified)