Epidemiological factors in the clinical identification of child sexual abuse

Abstract

Abstract

The main finding from epidemiological literature on child sexual abuse is that no identifiable demographic or family characteristics of a child may be used to exclude the possibility that a child has been sexually abused. Some characteristics are associated with greater risk: girls more than boys, preadolescents and early adolescents, having a stepfather, living without a natural parent, having an impaired mother, poor parenting, or witnessing family conflict. Class and ethnicity appear not to be associated with risk. In any case, none of these factors bear a strong enough relationship to the occurrence of abuse that their presence could play a confirming or disconfirming role in the identification of actual cases. © 1993.

Department

Sociology

Publication Date

1-1993

Journal Title

Child Abuse and Neglect

Publisher

Elsevier

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1016/0145-2134(93)90009-T

Document Type

Article

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