This study examined changes in the reported prevalence of adult and child sexual abuse over the last century and explored how changes in social and political circumstances may have affected rates. ...Data from two population-based face-to-face surveys conducted in New Zealand (samples of 2855 women in 2003 and 1464 women in 2019) were used to produce birth cohort prevalence estimates of three forms of sexual abuse including by an intimate partner (lifetime and 12-month), by non-partners, and child sexual abuse. A timeline of major population influences that might be associated with violence occurrence was developed. There were no changes in reported lifetime intimate partner sexual abuse prevalence estimates found over the past century. The most recent birth cohort reported the lowest rates of 12-month prevalence estimates for intimate partner sexual abuse, lifetime rates of non-partner sexual abuse, and also suggest lower reported rates of child sexual abuse. Macro-social events including feminist movements, changes in legislation, and an increase in public awareness might have contributed to women's awareness about the non-acceptability of violent behaviour, and their ability to leave relationships after violence has occurred. This may have contributed to the small recent decreases in reported 12-month rate of sexual IPV and CSA, as women's ability to leave relationships may be protective for their children. The recent decrease in reported non-partner sexual violence may also be attributed to women's greater awareness of, and agency to avoid sexual abuse. The lack of change for the lifetime prevalence of sexual IPV over the past century highlights the need for ongoing prevention efforts. While recent reductions in reported rates of child and adult sexual abuse are encouraging, even reduced rates are high and warrant sustained implementation of prevention policies and programs.
•Birth cohort analysis was used to explore changes in sexual abuse prevalence.•No change in lifetime intimate partner sexual abuse prevalence estimates was found.•Younger cohorts had lower rates of non-partner and child sexual abuse.•Macro-social events may have contributed to observed changes in prevalence rates.•Reduced rates are still high and warrant sustained prevention efforts.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
Introduction
The aim of this study is to develop a new measure of victimization and perpetration of two frequent forms of image‐based sexual abuse, namely sextortion (i.e., the threat of distributing ...sexual images to pressure the victim into doing something) and nonconsensual sexting (i.e., distributing sexual images of someone without the consent of the victim). Additional aims were to analyze the prevalence of these forms of victimization and perpetration and to examine their temporal stability over a 1‐year period.
Methods
The sample was made up of 1820 Spanish adolescents (mean age = 13.38, SD = 1.42; 929 girls, 878 boys, 3 nonbinary, and 10 did not indicate gender) who completed self‐report instruments on image‐based sexual abuse and related variables (e.g., cyberbullying victimization).
Results
Confirmatory factor analysis supported a structure composed of the four hypothesized factors: sextortion victimization and perpetration, and nonconsensual sexting victimization and perpetration. Higher sexting, cyberbullying victimization, and symptoms of depression and anxiety had stronger associations with image‐based sexual victimization than with perpetration, which showed evidence of concurrent validity. Prevalence was 2.6% and 0.7% for sextortion victimization and perpetration, respectively, and 3.4% and 4.9% for nonconsensual sexting victimization and perpetration, respectively. Temporal stability over 1 year was .26 for sextortion victimization, .19 for nonconsensual sexting victimization, .33 for nonconsensual sexting perpetration (all ps < .001), and nonsignificant for sextortion perpetration. The stability of nonconsensual sexting victimization was significantly higher for girls compared to boys, whereas nonconsensual sexting perpetration was more stable over 1 year for boys.
Conclusions
Future studies must advance the analysis of the predictors and consequences of image‐based sexual abuse among adolescents to better prevent this problem. Prevalence of sextortion and nonconsensual sexting is not negligible, and these problems should be particularly addressed in prevention programs.
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FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SAZU, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
•PAPSA remains an understudied area of research.•Professionals struggle with its complex and multifaceted nature and the lack of clear definitions guiding intervention.•The meanings that participants ...associate with PAPSA are strongly related to the characteristics of the peers involved, the type and the severity of the sexual acts and the luck of social discourse on sexuality in young aeges.
Child sexual abuse (CSA) has received considerable recent attention from scholars, contributing to prevention and therapeutic intervention services worldwide. However, CSA is still defined as a form of abuse characterized by age and power gaps between victims and perpetrators, despite ample evidence to the contrary. This may explain why preadolescent peer sexual abuse (PAPSA) remains an understudied area of research. PAPSA is generally defined as sexual acts that are developmentally inappropriate and or harmful between children of the same or similar age. The current study was designed to examine educational and therapeutic practitioners’ perceptions of PAPSA and their interactions with children and youth in their care who experienced this form of abuse, specifically focusing on children between the ages of 6–12. Forty in-depth interviews were conducted with practitioners who have encountered PAPSA in their professional lives, using snowball purposeful sampling. The interviews were analyzed using the qualitative thematic analysis method. The results revealed that participants struggled to make meaning and understand the effects of the phenomenon. To make sense of their experiences in encountering PAPSA, they relied on specific contextual elements related to (1) the characteristics of the peers involved, such as age, gender, and personal history; (2) the type and severity of the sexual acts and the effects on the survivors’ lives; and (3) the social discourse on sexuality—in particular, on sexual abuse—within the relevant age group. Relating to each of these contexts helped them to make sense of their experiences. Additionally, the final theme that emerged was the potential of educational and therapeutic environments to become spaces where PAPSA can be addressed in a compassionate way. The discussion emphasizes the complex and multifaceted nature of the PAPSA phenomenon, the lack of clear definitions guiding intervention, and the urgent need to advance theory to promote both prevention and therapeutic intervention efforts.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) have been shown to be associated with adult physical, psychological, and socioeconomic well-being, indicative of poor health-related quality of life (HRQoL). ...However, the association between child sexual abuse (CSA) and adult HRQoL, independent of other ACEs, has been less well examined.
To examine associations between self-reported CSA, including the nature of CSA, and adult HRQoL.
Data are from 10,624 respondents to CSA and HRQoL questions on the 2015 Texas Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System survey.
Analyses included chi square and t-tests to compare sociodemographic and HRQoL differences among those with and without history of CSA. Multivariable logistic regressions were used to evaluate associations between nature of CSA and HRQoL, controlling for covariates.
The prevalence of self-reported CSA in the sample was 10.3%. Compared to the non-exposed group, individuals exposed to CSA were more likely to report their general health as poor (AOR, 1.51; 95% CI, 1.09–2.09), report 14 or more physical unhealthy days (AOR, 1.46; 95% CI, 1.06–2.02), 14 or more mental unhealthy days (AOR, 1.86; 95% CI, 1.30–2.64), and 14 or more activity limitation days (AOR, 2.22; 95% CI, 1.58–3.10) in a month. HRQoL outcomes were worse for respondents who reported being forced to have sex as a child compared with those who reported being touched or forced to touch someone.
Self-reported CSA is associated with lower HRQoL. The association varies by the nature of reported sexual abuse. Understanding the long-term impacts of CSA can inform adult treatment options and policies to prevent and treat CSA.
•CSA history predicted worse self-reported adult general health, more unhealthy days, and more activity limitations.•Forced sex as a child predicted worse self-reported adult health than being touched or forced to touch someone.•Implications include individual and population health interventions and policy to prevent CSA and mitigate long-term impacts.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
Abstract In the present study, our aim was to examine longitudinal posttraumatic stress symptom (PTSS) trajectories in a Norwegian sample of adults who had experienced sexual abuse during childhood, ...and to identify predictors of PTSS-trajectory belongingness. The sample consisted of 138 adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse (96.4% women, mean age = 42.9 years, mean age at the first abuse = 5.9 years), recruited from support centers for sexual abuse survivors. The majority (78.3%) reported penetrative abuse, and a large proportion of the sample reported that the perpetrator was a biological parent (38.4%) or someone they trusted (76.1%), reflecting a high severity level of the abusive experiences. Latent Profile Analyses revealed the best overall fit for a two PTSS-trajectories model; one trajectory characterized by sub-clinical and decreasing level of PTSS (54.9%), and the other by high and slightly decreasing level of PTSS (45.1%). Increased odds for belonging to the trajectory with clinical level symptoms was found among those who reported higher levels of exposure to other types of childhood maltreatment (OR = 3.69, p = 0.002), sexual abuse enforced by physical violence (OR = 3.04, p = 0.003) or threats (OR = 2.56, p = 0.014), very painful sexual abuse (OR = 2.73, p = 0.007), or who had experienced intense anxiety, helplessness or fear during the abuse (OR = 2.97, p = 0.044). Those in the trajectory with clinical level PTSS reported lower levels of perceived social support and more relational difficulties compared to those in the sub-clinical PTSS trajectory. In conclusion, different longitudinal PTSS trajectories can be found among adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse. Significant predictors of PTSS-trajectory belongingness are discussed alongside their potential implications for preventive efforts and clinical interventions.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZRSKP
Child maltreatment is a global public health issue that encompasses physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, neglect, and exposure to intimate partner violence (IPV). This systematic review and ...meta-analysis summarises the association between these five forms of child maltreatment and depressive and anxiety disorders.
Published cohort and case-control studies were included if they reported associations between any form of child maltreatment (and/or a combination of), and depressive and anxiety disorders. A total of 604 studies were assessed for eligibility, 106 met inclusion criteria, and 96 were included in meta-analyses. The data were pooled in random effects meta-analyses, giving odds ratios (ORs) with corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for each form of child maltreatment.
All forms of child maltreatment were associated with depressive disorders (any child maltreatment OR = 2.48, 2.14–2.87; sexual abuse OR = 2.11, 1.83–2.44; physical abuse OR = 1.78, 1.57–2.01; emotional abuse OR = 2.35, 1.74–3.18; neglect OR = 1.65, 1.35–2.02; and exposure to IPV OR = 1.68, 1.34–2.10). Several forms of child maltreatment were significantly associated with anxiety disorders (‘any child maltreatment’ OR = 1.68, 1.33–2.4; sexual abuse OR = 1.90, 1.6–2.25; physical abuse OR = 1.56, 1.39–1.76; and neglect OR = 1.34, 1.09–1.65). Significant associations were also found between several forms of child maltreatment and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
There is a robust association between five forms of child maltreatment and the development of mental disorders. The Global Burden of Disease Study (GBD) includes only sexual abuse as a risk factor for depressive and anxiety disorders. These findings support the inclusion of additional forms of child maltreatment as risk factors in GBD.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZRSKP
Vulvar lichen sclerosis is a rare dermatosis in childhood. Clinical signs may be confused with sexual abuse, so differential diagnosis requires careful evaluation, especially during childhood. In ...this report, we present a case of lichen sclerosis who was referred to Child Advocacy Center with an initial diagnosis of sexual abuse. The diagnostic work-up included a multidiciplinary approach. Keywords: Lichen sclerosis, childhood, sexual abuse Vulvar liken skleroz, cocukluk caginda nadir gorulen bir dermatoz turudur. Klinik bulgulari, cinsel istismarla karisabilirle olasiligi nedeniyle ozellikle cocukluk doneminde ayirici taninin titizlikle yapilmasini gerektirir. Bu yazida, Cocuk Izlem Merkezi'ne cinsel istismar on tanisiyla basvuran bir Liken skleroz olgusu sunulmaktadir. Teshis sureci, multidisipLiner bir yaklasimi icermektedir. Anahtar Kelimeler: Liken skLeroz, cocukLuk cagi, cinsel istismar
Beyond ‘scandals’ and the public testimonies of victim-survivors, surprisingly little is known about the nature and extent of the harms of ‘image-based sexual abuse’, a term that includes all ...non-consensual taking and/or sharing of nude or sexual images. Accordingly, this article examines the findings from the first cross-national qualitative study on this issue, drawing on interviews with 75 victim-survivors of image-based sexual abuse in the UK, Australia and New Zealand. We adopt a feminist phenomenological approach that permits more nuanced and holistic understandings of victim-survivors’ experiences, moving beyond medicalised, trauma-based accounts of harm. Our analysis develops five interconnected accounts of the harms experienced, that we have termed social rupture, constancy, existential threat, isolation and constrained liberty. Our findings shed new light on the nature and significance of the harms of image-based sexual abuse that emphasises the need for more comprehensive and effective responses to these abuses.
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NUK, OILJ, SAZU, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
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