Variables associated with sexual abuse were examined among youth, ages 5 through 18, with severe mental illness. Review of 499 patient records revealed abuse as an isolated event in 62 cases, intermittent abuse in 61 cases, and chronic abuse in 150. Sexual abuse was associated with inappropriate sexual behaviors, substance abuse, and posttraumatic…

Examines problems related to child sexual abuse assessment and intervention methods, especially in instances of intrafamilial offenses. Discusses the benefits of alternative strategies in use today, and the adaptations that child welfare workers, social workers, and other professionals have made to enhance intervention effectiveness. Suggests that…

Discusses a treatment intervention program for young, sexually abused boys. Treatment included group, individual, and family therapy, and parent training. Clinical and statistically significant improvement were noted in many areas, including overall behavior problems and sexual behavior problems. Therapy outcome was related to numerous family and…

Evaluated "Talking about Touching" program (designed to increase children's knowledge about sexual abuse, ways to resist abuse, and where to get help) in five elementary schools. Found that children made statistically significant gains in knowledge about sexual abuse, teachers felt the program was needed and had few negative side…

Abuse is an environmental factor influencing some children's emergent metacognitive processes and perceptions. Because abused children most often remain in regular classrooms, they rely on teachers' ability to apply interventions responsive to their needs. This is accomplished by combining knowledge of educational best practices with knowledge…

Analysis of responses of 254 mental health workers in Kentucky to a questionnaire concerning therapeutic treatment in cases of physical child abuse found that the family was usually seen as the primary client, with the goal being provision of a safe environment for the child. Abused children received only 7 of the 23 sessions generally provided in…

Summarizes the status of public funding for child protection, contrasts expenditures for foster care versus family services, and traces the links between public assistance and child protection policies. The possibility that the 1996 federal welfare reform law may increase the need for child welfare services and drive up costs of child protection…

This study investigated the contributions of 5 mechanisms to the effects of preschool participation in the Child-Parent Centers for 1,404 low-income children in the Chicago Longitudinal Study. Based on a matched-group design, preschool participation was associated with significantly higher rates of educational attainment and lower rates of…

Multiple ecodevelopmental factors were tested as they influence suicidality in a community sample of Latino adolescent males. Risk factors tested included childhood maltreatment, parental alcohol-related problems, and polysubstance problems. Protective factors included general self-efficacy, social conformity, and family bonding. Male participants…

Emotional maltreatment tends to be overshadowed in research and in practice by other forms of maltreatment that present more obvious and explicit evidence and appear to require a more urgent response. This article aims to explore a growing body of research pointing to: (a) ways in which emotional maltreatment may adversely impact upon a child's…

The national attention focused on child sexual abuse has resulted in calls for prevention programs and ways to protect children. A child sexual abuse prevention program was developed and implemented by social workers in all the public elementary schools of a high-risk county in cooperation with the Council on Child Abuse, the Department of Family…

An evaluation was made of the Multidisciplinary Institute for Child Sexual Abuse Intervention and Treatment, a project established mainly to develop a curriculum for interdisciplinary child sexual abuse training, change attitudes and increase knowledge and skills of trainees, and promote a team approach toward training and case management among…

The document, half of which consists of appendixes, presents a report to the Utah State legislature by the Social Services Interim Committee regarding child abuse and neglect. The problems that Utah faces with child abuse and neglect are summarized, and the appropriate steps currently being taken are outlined. National progress and trends in…

The study examined the effectiveness of an instructional child abuse prevention instruction program by staging a situation in which each child (N=44) had the opportunity to leave the school with a stranger. Self esteem before instruction and knowledge/attitude scores after instruction were found to be predictive of a reduction in vulnerability.…

In 1994, the Chrysalis Project in Portland Public Schools received funding to prevent or delay the onset of substance abuse among a special target population: high-risk, female adolescents with a history of childhood abuse. Findings from the evaluation of the project's second year of providing assistance to these students are reported here. During…