This study examined the relationship between self-reported childhood physical and sexual abuse, romantic relationship quality, possible gender differences, and clinical implications. Three hundred thirty-eight women and 296 men who sought services at a university mental health clinic in the northeast region of the United States completed a…

Reviews literature surrounding possible limitations of criminal justice system and child protective services system in treatment of children who have been sexually abused. Discusses suggestions for ways investigation and adjudication systems could be improved to better meet needs of children. Gives implications for practitioners to provide…

Responds to previous articles by Fincham, Beach, Moore, and Diener (this issue) on child sexual abuse. Considers how accurate very young children's recollections are about events, people, and places from their distant past, and how likely their testimony is to be biased about such matters if interviewers use leading questions or suggestive…

This study undertook to identify the characteristics of caretakers who commit child sexual abuse. Among 2,372 cases of founded sexual abuse in Iowa, biologically unrelated caretakers were substantially overrepresented, and male perpetrators greatly outnumbered female perpetrators. Implications for practice are discussed. (Author/TE)

Responds to previous article by Fincham, Beach, Moore, and Diener (this issue) on child sexual abuse. Focuses on importance of recognizing that attempts to reduce probability of false claims of child abuse would result in increasing probability of missing true claims of child abuse. Offers hypothesis-testing framework as useful heuristic for…

Examines professional response to child sexual abuse. Considers problems with current practice and research, what maintains current professional behavior, and whether individual professionals improve children's welfare. Documents numerous professional practices that may harm children. Highlights ways that individual professionals can promote…

In responding to commentaries by Ceci and Bruck, Pezdek, and Faulconer, authors of original article (all this issue) on child sexual abuse restate original argument that children's well-being should determine all professional action, no matter how painful this may be for professional. Authors then address specific issues raised in commentaries,…

Notes that marital and family therapists working with families when child sexual abuse is disclosed or suspected face ethical confusion that may not be clearly addressed by professional codes of conduct or legal statutes. Discusses ethical dilemmas commonly encountered in family sexual abuse cases and provides recommendations for ethical decision…

Describes adult-child incest involving 16 victims. Cases were analyzed and discussed in relationship to previous studies. Emphasis is placed on replicated and newly identified risk factors including alcohol dependency, spouse abuse, other (nonsexual) child abuse or neglect, inadequate housing, social isolation, birth order, and other family…

Responds to previous article by Fincham, Beach, Moore, and Diener (this issue) on child sexual abuse. Contends that other perspectives need further investigation to effectively serve children's best interests. Discusses ways that researchers and practitioners can help abused children by building on some of Fincham et al.'s ideas and introduces…

Presents a study in which 134 college students judged children in vignettes varying on child gender and family history to test perceiver bias. Perceiver bias was confirmed. Perceptions of female sexual abuse victims were more biased than perceptions of male victims. (Author/SR)

Provides information on preventing and treating child sexual abuse to family life educators and other professionals who work with children and families. Provides a brief theoretical section, a review of major studies, and the opinions of key clinicians in the field of child sexual abuse. A list of resources is included. (Author/ABB)

Reviews assessment approaches used to evaluate child physical and sexual abuse offenders. Discusses interview and observational methods and problems. Reviews and critiques selected personality measures used to assess child abuse offenders. Reviews offender specific measures. Problems related to the lack of measure specificity and selectivity are…