Chapter 6: Child Sexual Abuse

What is child sexual abuse?

Is sexual exploitation or sexual activities with a child under circumstances that indicate that the child’s health or welfare is harmed or threatened.

What is the percentage of children being victims of sexual abuse by relationship?

• 47%+ Family members (Incest) 

• 40% Acquaintances( someone they know)

• 8-10% Strangers

What is Intrafamilial sexual abuse?

Incest and refers to any type of exploitative sexual contact occurring between relatives.

What is Extrafamilial sexual abuse?

Refers to exploitative sexual contact with perpetrators who may be known or unknown to the child.

What are some examples of touching sexual offences?

• Fondling

• Making a child touch an adult’s sexual organs

• Penetrating that doesn’t have a valid medical purpose.

What are some examples of non-touching sexual offences?

• Engaging in indecent exposure or exhibitionism

• Exposing children to pornographic material

• Deliberately exposing a child to the act of sexual intercourse

• Masturbating in front of a child

• Prostitution

True or False

There is not a set of characteristics, age, race, sex, domicile, social economic status, that define who is an abuser.

True

What did Conti say about sexual abusers/predators?

That there are factors that are important when evaluating the characteristics of abusers:

• Measurement of sexual arousal

• Sexual fantasies

• The type of rationalizations used by adult offenders who have sexual relations with children

What is true about male and female victims?

Female are the most common victims and male sexual abuse rates are higher than we thought

Why do male not report their sexual abuse?

1. They are embarrassed

2. They don’t want to be viewed as sissies/weak

3. They are unsupervised

4. Socialization factors(they are taught to hide their feelings and not cry or be emotional)

What are the high risk years for CSA?

Between the ages of 4 and 9

What age is CSA using terminated?

14

What did Finkelhor and Porter find?

That less assertive boys are more likely to be victims of sexual abuse

What does the presence of a stepfather in the home do?

Adds to the risk of sexual abuse

What are some physical indicators of sexual abuse?

• Difficulty in walking or sitting

• Torn, stained, or bloody underwear

• Genital/anal itching, pain, swelling, or burning

• Genital/anal bruises or bleeding

• Frequent urinary tract or yeast infections

• Pain on urination

• Poor sphincter control

• Venereal disease

• Pregnancy

• Chronic unexplained sore throats

• Frequent psychosomatic illnesses

• Loss of appetite

What are some Non-sexual Behavioral Indicators in Young Children?

• sleep disturbances

• Involuntary urination

• Involuntary defecation

• other regressive behavior (e.g., needing to take a transitional object to school)

• self-destructive or risk-taking behavior

• impulsivity, distractibility, difficulty concentrating (without a history of nonabusive etiology)

• refusal to be left alone

• fear of the alleged offender

• fear of people of a specific type or gender;

• firesetting (more characteristic of boy victims)

• cruelty to animals (more characteristic of boy victims)

• role reversal in the family or pseudomaturity

What are some Non-sexual Behavioral Indicators in Older Children?

• Eating disturbances(anorexia or bulimia)

• running away

• substance abuse

• self-destructive behavior (e.g., suicidal gestures, attempts, and successes and self-mutilation)

• incorrigibility

• criminal activity

• depression and social withdrawal

What are some Non-sexual Behavioral Indicators in All Children?

• problems relating to peers

• school difficulties

• sudden noticeable changes in behavior

What are some consequences of sexual abuse as by Conti?

• Differential impact

• Substantive implications

• Political contexts

• Methodological issues

What are various factors that affect stress as set forth by Tower?

The type of abuse

The identity of the offender

The duration of the abuse

The extent of the abuse

The age the abuse started

The reactions of others to disclosure of the abuse

The personality of the child

What is pedephilia?

A sexual fixation on young children, usually translated into sexual acts

What is incest?

Sexual relations between blood relatives

What are some theories of incest?

Psychological, biological, familial, feminist, and multidimensional