5 Child Sexual Abuse What is it? How do we define?
6 Impact of CSA 1. CSA causes harm 2. Harm is pervasive among the population with a CSA history 3. Harm is likely to be intense 4. CSA is an equivalent experience for males and females
7 1998 Meta-analysis Rind, B., Tromovitch, P., & Bauserman, R. (1998). A meta-analytic examination of assumed properties of child sexual abuse using college samples. Psychological Bulletin, 124(1), 22-53. Examined the empirical status of our “common sense” ideas about the effects The information in the following slides is derived from the above article.
8 CSA terminology describes virtually all sexual interactions with significantly older persons peers any time coercion is involved problems with validity of the CSA construct very different incidents receive same label
9 Previous literature reviews qualitative reviews entirely narrative susceptible to reviewers subjective interpretations meta analyses substantial proportion of clinical samples most have not evaluated or adequately control for other trauma, family environment
10 Rind et al. College samples 1. large, nonclinical samples 2. useful for addressing general population questions 3. studies tend to provide data on moderator variables Detailed inclusion criteria resulted in: 59 usable studies, 70 samples N = 35,703, 13,704 males; 21,999 females 54 samples-data on psychological correlates N = 15,824; 3,254 males; 12,570 females
11 Coding Psychological correlates Moderator variables Definition of CSA in study Reaction data – both retrospective and current Self-reported effects Family environment measures
12 Prevalence Overall Males 14% (3-37%) Females 27% (8-71%) Force or threat males 23% females 41% Relation with adjustment, r =.09 17 of 18 symptom – CSA correlations statistically significant – all small
14 Moderators examined Duration Force Frequency Incest Penetration Only force & incest were significant
15 Reactions to CSA Recalled immediate – females more pervasively negative 72% vs. 33% of males Current reflections similar, 59% of females negative vs. 26% of males Lasting effects on sexual functioning for 8-15% General effects more rare
17 Conclusions males and females appear to be affected differently lasting negative effects not especially prevalent negative effects are generally temporary
18 Family environment and CSA aggregate correlation between family environmental factors and psychological symptoms was.29, accounted for 9 x variability in psychological symptoms that CSA history did statistical control=statistically significant CSA – symptom relations from 41% to 17%.
20 Comparing CSA and Family Environment correlations
21 CSA and predictors of adjustment/ functioning not a new finding family environment variables stronger predictors of adjustment variability than CSA research on school achievement has concluded that neglect & physical abuse were associated with poorer school functioning and behavior while sexual abuse was not.
22 CSA as a focus of scientific study Most studies use a legal-moral definition What does abuse imply in scientific terms? Conflation of sexual morals and science not a new phenomenon Masturbation DSM-I “disorders”
23 CSA as a societal issue Wrongfulness ≠ harmfulness Lack of harmfulness ≠ lack of wrongfulness Moral codes not necessarily based on harmfulness or health Legal codes often the same
24 The end… If you are interested in more information, click here for a pdf of the Rind, et al article and click here for a pdf of an article from American Psychologist about the political firestorm that the Rind et al study touched offclick here