A sample of predominantly low-income, African American female veterans and reservists seeking health care in a Veterans' Administration medical clinic was screened for a history of sexual assault since age 18. Overall, 39% had been sexually assaulted in adulthood. Those who had been sexually victimized were asked to describe one assault incident…

Much attention has been given to the problem of sexual predators and the struggles of the legal-justice system to contain them. In response to public outcry over high-profile sex crimes, federal and state legislators have responded in the past decade with innovative but controversial public policy initiatives, called "sexually violent predator…

The literature on racial and ethnic factors in childhood sexual abuse is limited. The purpose of this exploratory study was to document Hispanic-Anglo differences in childhood sexual abuse experiences and assess whether these differences may be explained by socio-demographic and family environmental differences. Adult Hispanic (n = 69) and Anglo…

A major function of the helping professions is to promote quality of life (QOL) for all people. Since this concept is commonly embodied in ethics codes within the various human services, it can be easy for professionals to assume that clients share the same perceptions of our function. However, when working with offenders, this assumption, along…

Objective: There were two aims to this study: first to examine whether emotional abuse and neglect are significant predictors of psychological and somatic symptoms, and lifetime trauma exposure in women presenting to a primary care practice, and second to examine the strength of these relationships after controlling for the effects of other types…

This paper looks at the role of individual psychotherapy with a severely sexually abused girl in a therapeutic community, and the place of this work as she makes the transition into foster-care. It emphasizes the importance, not only of the individual work, but also of the drawing together of the work around the child, particularly at such a…

This paper describes the prevalence of depression and suicidal tendencies as well as risk factors for attempted suicide among students in Bolivia. Adolescents 13-18 years old (182 females, 394 males) from randomly selected schools in La Paz completed the Youth Risk Behavior Survey. Frequencies and logistic regression were used to identify…

This study examined childhood gender atypicality, lifetime victimization based on sexual orientation, and current mental health, including trauma symptoms and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), among 528 lesbian, gay, and bisexual youth. Nearly 80% reported verbal victimization, 11% physical, and 9% sexual, with males reporting significantly…

In this paper, the Adolescent Sexual Abuser Project (ASAP) assessment pack-Dutch Revised Version (ASAP-D) is presented. The ASAP-D is an assessment instrument which measures the personality characteristics that are generally considered relevant in the literature for the development and perpetuation of sexually abusive behaviour in juveniles. After…

Erotica (love or a creative principle) and thanatica (death or a destructive principle), two sexually explicit forms of speech, are discussed in the context of fighting pornography in the courts. Antipornographers are urged to reexamine their political alliances, legal theories, and philosophical assumptions. (MLW)

The follow-up study evaluated 37 girls and 12 boys (aged 5-19 years) who had been sexually abused an average of 2.6 years previously. Results found that, compared to control children, abused children had less confidence, fewer friends, more aggression, increased sexual awareness, and more behavior and academic problems. (Author/JDD)

Children ages 3-6 years were interviewed following a scheduled pediatric clinic visit to assess their ability to remember and report incidents of body touch. Follow-up interviews were conducted after one and six months. Results suggest that children actively and accurately process their experiences and that the quality and quantity of their…

Reflects upon Steward and Steward essay on improving understanding of children as witnesses. Focuses in particular on the effect on legal proceedings of a poorly conducted or highly suggestive interview. Suggests that the major problem today is whether a child's account has been contaminated by delays or through interactions with others, and…

Examines the rationale and design of evaluations of interview protocols to be used in sexual abuse cases. Comments on the findings of Steward et al. study, in the contexts of cost-benefit analysis and ecological validity. Discusses the advantages and disadvantages of different techniques, such as enhanced interviews, anatomical dolls,…

A follow-up study of 103 Australian individuals (Ages 14-25) who were sexually abused, found they performed more poorly than controls on measures of depression, self-esteem, anxiety, behavior, and despair. They were also more likely to have a history of bingeing, smoking, and using amphetamines. Potential risk factors are discussed. (Contains…