NCJ Number
203493
Journal
Journal of Child Sexual Abuse Volume: 12 Issue: 1 Dated: 2003 Pages: 123-139
Editor(s)
Robert Geffner Ph.D.
Date Published
2003
Length
17 pages
Annotation
This study examined the psychosocial functioning of 100 adolescent females sentenced to secure care in a Southeastern State and the impact of a gender-specific, cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) intervention on the psychosocial functioning of subjects who reported a history of sexual abuse.
Abstract
The growing number of adolescent females involved in criminal behavior is changing the face of the juvenile justice system and drawing attention to the unique needs of this population. The female arrest rate has increased 103 percent since 1981, nearly four times greater than the increase in the arrest rate for males. Despite the growing number of females involved in the criminal justice system, most research on youthful offenders has focused on males. Studies have shown that in general incarcerated females are more likely than the general population of women to have histories of mental illness, substance abuse, and physical and sexual abuse. While the research literature has little to offer incarcerated adolescent females with histories of sexual abuse, substance abuse, or both, the substance abuse literature has clearly established that adolescent females with substance abuse problems have risk factors, use patterns, consequences, and unique needs that differ from those of males. The intent of this study was to examine the impact of a gender-specific cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) intervention on the psychosocial functioning of incarcerated adolescent females who reported a history of sexual abuse. Data were obtained from 100 adolescent females, ages 12-17, sentenced to secure care in a State-run, youth-development center in a Southeastern State. The sample was broken into 2 groups: those that disclosed sexual abuse and received CBT intervention (n=45), and those who neither disclosed abuse nor received CBT treatment but who received the standard services provided to all adolescents at the institution (n=55). All subjects were assessed at time of admission to the facility using the Multidimensional Adolescent Assessment Scale (MAAS), as well as at time of discharge. The research findings revealed that youth who disclosed sexual abuse were similar to those youth did not report sexual abuse in terms of demographics and other characteristics, but their psychosocial functioning was markedly different. Pre-test scores on the MAAS revealed significantly higher scores on 12 of the 16 dimensions of psychosocial functioning and higher rates of serious criminal behavior for youth who subsequently disclosed sexual abuse histories as compared to those without such histories. At post-test, statistically significant improvements in psychosocial functioning were observed on 14 of 16 MAAS subscales for those who received the CBT intervention. Thus, incarcerated female adolescents who reported a history of sexual abuse demonstrated more impairment in their functioning as compared to those without a reported history of sexual abuse and responded positively to a gender-specific, CBT-based intervention. 3 tables and 49 references