A Descriptive Mixed-Methods Analysis of Sexual Behavior and Knowledge in Very Young Children Assessed for Sexual Abuse: The ASAC Study
Child sexual abuse (CSA) is a worldwide problem with serious consequences. We hypothesized that worrisome sexual behavior and knowledge would frequently be reported in children assessed after CSA. We therefore investigated (A) what types of sexual behaviors and knowledge were reported by parents of...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2019-01-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Psychology |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.02716/full |
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| author | T. F. Vrolijk-Bosschaart S. N. Brilleslijper-Kater E. Verlinden G. A. M. Widdershoven A. H. Teeuw Y. Voskes E. M. van Duin A. P. Verhoeff M. de Leeuw M. J. Roskam M. A. Benninga R. J. L. Lindauer R. J. L. Lindauer |
| author_facet | T. F. Vrolijk-Bosschaart S. N. Brilleslijper-Kater E. Verlinden G. A. M. Widdershoven A. H. Teeuw Y. Voskes E. M. van Duin A. P. Verhoeff M. de Leeuw M. J. Roskam M. A. Benninga R. J. L. Lindauer R. J. L. Lindauer |
| author_sort | T. F. Vrolijk-Bosschaart |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Child sexual abuse (CSA) is a worldwide problem with serious consequences. We hypothesized that worrisome sexual behavior and knowledge would frequently be reported in children assessed after CSA. We therefore investigated (A) what types of sexual behaviors and knowledge were reported by parents of young children assessed for CSA; (B) in what cases such behaviors and knowledge were worrisome; and (C) how such children responded verbally and non-verbally during child interviews. We conducted a mixed-methods study, including qualitative inductive content analysis and quantitative analysis. It included 125 children (76 boys, 60.8%; median age 3.3 years, age range 0–11), all involved in the Amsterdam sexual abuse case (ASAC) and examined for highly suspected (n = 71) or confirmed CSA (n = 54). We identified themes from (1) the parent reports: sexual behavior (e.g., self-stimulation, touching others, imitation of sexual acts), fears and anxiety with regard to sexuality, and sexual utterances (sexual slang, references to sexual acts); and (2) the child interviews: behavioral reactions (avoidance, distractive behaviors), emotional reactions (anger, aggression), and verbal reactions (conspicuous utterances, refusal to talk about specific subjects). In 37% of the children the sexual behavior was deemed worrisome or very worrisome. Clinicians who assess children for CSA are advised to focus in particular on sexual behavior problems and inappropriate sexual knowledge. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-18T08:27:47Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-39d7ff0b2f1e4831933ac15f4e9f7768 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-1078 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-18T08:27:47Z |
| publishDate | 2019-01-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Psychology |
| spelling | doaj.art-39d7ff0b2f1e4831933ac15f4e9f77682022-12-21T21:14:33ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychology1664-10782019-01-01910.3389/fpsyg.2018.02716388327A Descriptive Mixed-Methods Analysis of Sexual Behavior and Knowledge in Very Young Children Assessed for Sexual Abuse: The ASAC StudyT. F. Vrolijk-Bosschaart0S. N. Brilleslijper-Kater1E. Verlinden2G. A. M. Widdershoven3A. H. Teeuw4Y. Voskes5E. M. van Duin6A. P. Verhoeff7M. de Leeuw8M. J. Roskam9M. A. Benninga10R. J. L. Lindauer11R. J. L. Lindauer12Department of Social Pediatrics, Child Abuse and Neglect Team, Emma Children’s Hospital, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, NetherlandsDepartment of Social Pediatrics, Child Abuse and Neglect Team, Emma Children’s Hospital, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, NetherlandsDepartment of Epidemiology, Health Promotion and Healthcare Innovation, Public Health Service, Amsterdam, NetherlandsDepartment of Medical Humanities, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, NetherlandsDepartment of Social Pediatrics, Child Abuse and Neglect Team, Emma Children’s Hospital, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, NetherlandsDepartment of Medical Humanities, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, NetherlandsDepartment of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, NetherlandsDepartment of Epidemiology, Health Promotion and Healthcare Innovation, Public Health Service, Amsterdam, NetherlandsFormer Medical Student, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, NetherlandsFormer Medical Student, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, NetherlandsDepartment of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Emma Children’s Hospital, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, NetherlandsDepartment of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, NetherlandsDe Bascule, Academic Center for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Amsterdam, NetherlandsChild sexual abuse (CSA) is a worldwide problem with serious consequences. We hypothesized that worrisome sexual behavior and knowledge would frequently be reported in children assessed after CSA. We therefore investigated (A) what types of sexual behaviors and knowledge were reported by parents of young children assessed for CSA; (B) in what cases such behaviors and knowledge were worrisome; and (C) how such children responded verbally and non-verbally during child interviews. We conducted a mixed-methods study, including qualitative inductive content analysis and quantitative analysis. It included 125 children (76 boys, 60.8%; median age 3.3 years, age range 0–11), all involved in the Amsterdam sexual abuse case (ASAC) and examined for highly suspected (n = 71) or confirmed CSA (n = 54). We identified themes from (1) the parent reports: sexual behavior (e.g., self-stimulation, touching others, imitation of sexual acts), fears and anxiety with regard to sexuality, and sexual utterances (sexual slang, references to sexual acts); and (2) the child interviews: behavioral reactions (avoidance, distractive behaviors), emotional reactions (anger, aggression), and verbal reactions (conspicuous utterances, refusal to talk about specific subjects). In 37% of the children the sexual behavior was deemed worrisome or very worrisome. Clinicians who assess children for CSA are advised to focus in particular on sexual behavior problems and inappropriate sexual knowledge.https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.02716/fullsexual behaviorsexual knowledgesexual abusechildrenevaluationinterviewing |
| spellingShingle | T. F. Vrolijk-Bosschaart S. N. Brilleslijper-Kater E. Verlinden G. A. M. Widdershoven A. H. Teeuw Y. Voskes E. M. van Duin A. P. Verhoeff M. de Leeuw M. J. Roskam M. A. Benninga R. J. L. Lindauer R. J. L. Lindauer A Descriptive Mixed-Methods Analysis of Sexual Behavior and Knowledge in Very Young Children Assessed for Sexual Abuse: The ASAC Study Frontiers in Psychology sexual behavior sexual knowledge sexual abuse children evaluation interviewing |
| title | A Descriptive Mixed-Methods Analysis of Sexual Behavior and Knowledge in Very Young Children Assessed for Sexual Abuse: The ASAC Study |
| title_full | A Descriptive Mixed-Methods Analysis of Sexual Behavior and Knowledge in Very Young Children Assessed for Sexual Abuse: The ASAC Study |
| title_fullStr | A Descriptive Mixed-Methods Analysis of Sexual Behavior and Knowledge in Very Young Children Assessed for Sexual Abuse: The ASAC Study |
| title_full_unstemmed | A Descriptive Mixed-Methods Analysis of Sexual Behavior and Knowledge in Very Young Children Assessed for Sexual Abuse: The ASAC Study |
| title_short | A Descriptive Mixed-Methods Analysis of Sexual Behavior and Knowledge in Very Young Children Assessed for Sexual Abuse: The ASAC Study |
| title_sort | descriptive mixed methods analysis of sexual behavior and knowledge in very young children assessed for sexual abuse the asac study |
| topic | sexual behavior sexual knowledge sexual abuse children evaluation interviewing |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.02716/full |
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