Journal of Child Sexual Abuse最新文献

Considering the emphasis on parent-led sexual abuse education (PLSAE) in child sexual abuse (CSA) prevention, and the imperative of prevention in families living with demonstrated risk factors, it is important to understand the extent to which this group delivers PLSAE to their children, whether this is associated with any barriers or facilitators, whether parents are engaging in other protective behaviors (such as monitoring and involvement) and the relationship between these variables and other risk factors such as parent and child symptomology. We surveyed 117 parents, with children ranging in age from 25-89 months (67% boys), attending a parenting program for assistance with a range of parenting difficulties and child behavior problems from 2020-22. A large majority of parents reported not giving their children comprehensive prevention messages, discussing body integrity and abduction dangers to a greater extent. PLSAE was significantly positively associated with child internalizing and externalizing symptoms; parent and child age; and discussion of body integrity and abduction. However, PLSAE was not associated with any other measured variables (protective parenting; CSA knowledge; parenting self-efficacy; general and own-child risk appraisal; parent burnout, stress, depression or anxiety; child diagnosis; parental education level; employment or marital status; or income). The current findings suggest that investing resources into increasing parental knowledge, risk perception and confidence may be misguided. Future endeavors should consider helping parents be protective in other ways, for example, through the creation of safe environments and reducing the risks of CSA.

Pedophilia is a significant public health problem. Despite its cost to society, little effort has been directed toward understanding idiographic differences in the development and maintenance of pedophilia. Extant literature emphasizes biological underpinnings and predictors of re-offense. In this article, we posit that pedophilic penchants in males originate due to language, cognition, emotions, and emotion regulation. Adverse childhood experiences, such as emotional and sexual abuse, are posited as a major contributor to the etiology of pedophilia. However, not all individuals attracted to minors present with similar childhood adversities. The development of pedophilia, in the absence of such direct training (childhood adversities), is difficult to comprehend. Relational frame theory, a comprehensive account of human language and cognition, aids in deciphering the idiographic underpinnings of pedophilia. The role of maladaptive emotion regulation in maintaining pedophilia is also described. This article presents examples of how relational frames are established and activated in distressing contexts. Finally, implications for future research are discussed.

Obtaining accurate prevalence rates of sexual violence is made difficult by discrepancies in self-report questionnaires. Thus, the current study sought to explore participants' perceptions of acceptability (i.e., perceived difficulty and preference) as a potential mechanism of discrepancy between different questionnaires. Participants were 673 college students who completed two frequently used sexual victimization questionnaires, the Sexual Experiences Survey-Short Form Victimization (SES-SFV) and the Post-Refusal Sexual Persistence Scales-Victimization (PRSPS-V). Participants then answered questions about each measure's perceived difficulty and their preference between the two. Participants found the PRSPS-V easier to understand and preferred it 2.5 to 1 over the SES-SFV. Preference was related to reporting; participants who preferred the PRSPS-V reported more instances of sexual victimization on the PRSPS-V by 9.8%. Our results indicate that acceptability impacts reported prevalence rates and is one mechanism of discrepancy between questionnaires. Thus, researchers may wish to consider acceptability when choosing sexual victimization questionnaires.

College women are at an elevated risk for sexual victimization (SV) and secondary physical and psychological consequences. While some women experience negative outcomes such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), others experience reduced or complete absence of distress following SV. The variation in outcomes may be associated with the victim's level of intoxication, which may in turn affect their processing of and coping with the event. We examined the effects of SV severity on PTSD via coping and intoxication using a moderated mediation analysis among female college students (N = 375). Results demonstrate that coping mediates the association between SV severity and PTSD symptomology; however, intoxication did not moderate these associations. Results suggest that regardless of intoxication, SV severity influences various coping styles and plays an important role in a victim's adjustment post-victimization.

Hugs and Kisses is a theater-based child sexual abuse (CSA) prevention program designed for children in kindergarten through fifth grades. The purpose of this cross-sectional case study is to evaluate how a comprehensive live musical theater program can prepare teachers to discuss and identify the signs of CSA, help children increase their knowledge, and learn prevention strategies to stop CSA in the future. A total of 154 teachers and 2,700 children from 31 schools participated in this program during 2016. Findings show this program increases children's awareness of touch and action knowledge through five primary safety lessons taught during the program and reinforced by a teacher led in-person discussion after the play. Nearly 85% of the students across all grade levels in this sample understood the lessons taught in the play, and students whose teachers held an in-class discussion after the play scored better than those students whose teachers did not hold a discussion. Teachers who were prepared with training resources also held longer in-class discussions compared to those who were not prepared. The Hugs play has the potential to be a national model for evidence-based CSA programs.

This scoping review investigates the impact of COVID-19 on global and national trends in online child sexually explicit material (CSEM) trafficking and production in addition to online child sexual abuse (OCSA). Globally, CSEM consumption increased dramatically during the pandemic, as well as trafficking of self-generated material. The hypothesized reasons for the increase in OCSA and CSEM that guided this review included stay-at-home orders, COVID-19-related precautions, technology use increase, economic instability, and lack of available victim and legal resources. Current global and national law enforcement procedures to prevent the proliferation of online sexual abuse are reviewed with suggestions for preventing further increases in CSEM production, distribution, and consumption at the micro and macro levels.

Online sexual grooming occurs when adults or adolescents contact children and adolescents using online media intending to establish sexual contact with the victims. Professionals who work with children and adolescents can be crucial in the prevention and intervention in this phenomenon. The main goal of this research was to evaluate the knowledge, the perceptions, and the training needs regarding online sexual grooming perpetrated by adults in a sample of professionals who work with children and adolescents in Portugal. A total of 161 professionals participated in the study, of which 72 (45%) were teachers, 52 (32%) were child protection professionals and 37 (23%) were psychologists. A new questionnaire was developed for this study, which was distributed online. All the participants reported having heard the term "online sexual grooming" before. The data show that most participants have some training regarding violence against children and adolescents but that only a minority of participants have training regarding online sexual grooming. Participants reported confidence in their ability to support victims of grooming and considered training regarding this phenomenon as a beneficial tool for professionals. The main conclusion from this research is that professionals are motivated to prevent online sexual grooming, and that, if they receive adequate evidence-based training, they may be essential first responders in sexual abuse cases.

Victims of child sexual abuse (CSA) are a heterogeneous population. Several characteristics may influence the outcomes associated with this adverse childhood experience, including personal (e.g. age) and CSA characteristics (e.g. relationship to the perpetrator). This study relied on a person-centered approach to account for this heterogeneity and focused on adolescent boys, an understudied population. Data were drawn from a representative sample of high school students aged 14 to 18 years old in Quebec, Canada. A total of 3.9% (n = 138) of boys reported CSA. Various CSA characteristics (severity, relationship to the perpetrator, and number of events) were used as indicators to derive classes. A four-class solution emerged from the latent class analysis: CSA in a sports context (6%), intrafamilial CSA (8%), extrafamilial CSA (52%) and multiple CSA (34%). The multiple CSA profile included boys who were sexually abused in multiple situations by different perpetrators and who were victims of acts involving penetration. The exploration of correlates associated with class membership revealed that adolescent boys included in the multiple CSA profile were distinguished by higher rates of delinquent behaviors and alcohol and drug use. They were more likely than members of other latent classes to belong to sexual minorities. This exploratory study sheds light on sexually victimized adolescent boys and the deleterious consequences that may affect them, particularly boys who have experienced multiple CSA events. We conclude that prevention efforts should focus on the demystification of sexual trauma among boys and on using trauma-informed care approaches for adolescent externalizing behaviors.

Rates of detection and disclosure of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) are believed to be lower in males due to gender socialization fears. The experience of CSA is thought to increase negative self-conscious emotions (shame, guilt, embarrassment, anger, and fear). Such self-conscious emotions have been associated with a range of mental and public health issues. As there has been no research to date that has explored the experience of shame and guilt within the wider context of self-conscious emotional states for males, this research aimed to explore men's experiences of self-conscious emotions following CSA. Nine semi-structured interviews with males were completed. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis identified three themes: "Invisible In This World" captures participants' isolating circumstances surrounding their CSA, and how this impacted their perception of not being protected or able to speak out; "The Emotional Fallout" describes the overwhelming emotions experienced as a result of the CSA and how such emotions have impacted participants lives, and "Learning To Live With The Wound That May Never Heal" addresses how participants have spent their lives living with the abuse and how it's a process to learn how to adapt and live with the abuse. Findings suggest there is a clear need to recognize the role and power of self-conscious emotions in male CSA, especially for healthcare professionals and services supporting males with CSA. Without addressing such self-conscious emotions, males who have experienced CSA are at risk of enduring the emotional fallout throughout their lives.

This exploratory study sought a deeper understanding of the perspectives of self-defined ritual abuse (RA) survivors, who had experienced sexual victimization, on participation in research. A mixed-methods qualitative design involving online survey and follow-up virtual interviews included 68 adults across eight countries. Content and thematic analysis of responses indicated that RA survivors were keen to be involved in a range of research activities to share their experience, knowledge, and support for other survivors. Having a voice, gaining knowledge, and feeling empowered were reported as advantages of participation, while concerns included exploitation, researcher ignorance, and emotional dysregulation caused by content discussed. To enable their engagement in the future research, RA survivors identified participative research designs, anonymity, and increased opportunities for inclusion in decision-making.