Repérer les violences sexuelles chez les adolescents suicidants. L’hospitalisation pédiatrique : un temps pour dire ? Étude rétrospective sur une population d’adolescents hospitalisés en pédiatrie

Abstract

Introduction

Sexual violence against minors has important psychological repercussions throughout life. In adolescents, it can result in endangerment or self-aggressive behaviour such as suicide attempts. Its detection by health professionals is therefore an important issue in order to provide these young people with appropriate medical and social care. Professional recommendations call for systematic hospitalization of adolescents who have attempted suicide, but these recommendations have not yet been widely applied. At the Robert-Ballanger hospital (Aulnay-sous-Bois, Seine-St-Denis, France), a specific protocol has been established between paediatrics and child psychiatry departments, allowing all suicidal adolescents to be hospitalized in paediatrics. We conducted a study to take advantage of this hospitalization time to better identify sexual violence in adolescents.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective study based on the analysis of the medical records of 138 adolescents hospitalized in the paediatric ward and followed by the child psychiatry liaison team at the centre hospitalier Robert-Ballanger (Aulnay-sous-Bois) in 2021.

Results

We found significantly more sexually assaulted adolescents among those hospitalized for suicidal gestures or ideas (12 out of 54; 22%) than among those hospitalized for other reasons (5 out of 84; 6%). The sexual assaults described by the adolescents concerned were consistent with data from epidemiological studies and French victimization surveys : they mainly concerned girls (14 out of 17), were repeated assaults in three quarters of cases, and were intrafamilial assaults in one third of cases. The disclosure was often made to a caregiver (for 5 of 17 adolescents). Adolescents with a history of sexual assault were more concerned with intrafamilial violence but also with school harassment. We found a significantly higher number of suicide attempts among sexually assaulted adolescents, as well as a higher number of suicide attempts requiring hospitalization in intensive care.

Conclusion

Paediatric hospitalization of adolescents attempting suicide appears to be an interesting tool for identifying a history of sexual assault in these young people. Our study highlights an over-representation of sexually assaulted adolescents among those treated for suicidal thoughts or suicide attempts, as well as specific factors that should be vigilantly monitored. A reassuring environment, awareness-raising among professionals, and special attention to detail could all help to improve detection and hence protection and appropriate therapeutic follow-up.