Toward a comprehensive theory of child sexual abuse: A theory knitting perspective

Abstract

In recent years a number of multifactorial theories of child sexual abuse have been developed. The most influential are Finkelhor's (1984) Precondition Model of child sexual abuse; Hall and Hirschman's (1992) Quadripartite Model; and Marshall and Barbaree's Integrated Theory (1990). While all three of these important theories have a number of strengths, each has serious weaknesses that limit its ability to provide a satisfactory explanation of child sexual abuse. In this paper we attempt to integrate the best elements of the three theories into a comprehensive etiological theory, or at least the beginnings of such a theory. After outlining the concept of theory knitting we briefly summarise each of the multifactorial theories and their major strengths and weaknesses. We then develop a comprehensive theoretical framework (the Pathways Model) integrating both the overlapping and unique elements of these broad perspectives with some additional concepts derived from various psychological domains. In the final section of the paper we consider the adequacy of the Pathways Model.     

Adult-perpetrated animal abuse: development of a proclivity scale

There is a clear discrepancy in the reporting of animal cruelty complaints, prosecutions, and convictions suggesting that any prevalence figures of abuse are significant under-representations. Therefore, it can be inferred that there is a large number of animal abusers who are unapprehended. Currently there is no validated tool that assesses the proclivity or propensity to engage in animal abuse amongst members of the general public. Such a tool would enable researchers to study individuals who may think like animal abusers or may be unapprehended offenders themselves. This paper presents the newly developed Animal Abuse Proclivity Scale (AAPS) and some preliminary findings. The results from our two studies show that: (1) the psychometric properties of the AAPS indicate that the scale is a highly reliable measure; (2) the AAPS relates to measures assessing offence-supportive attitudes and reflects the gender differences seen in the literature; and (3) the AAPS demonstrates cross-national validity. These findings support that the AAPS, similar to other offending proclivity measures, is a tool that can be used to examine the factors most related to animal abuse propensity. We discuss how the AAPS can contribute to future developments in theory and practice in the field.     

The associations between abuse characteristics in child sexual abuse: a meta-analysis

Child sexual abuse (CSA) is a general term describing a wide range of events that vary in characteristics such as the victim’s age of onset, relationship to the perpetrator, abuse quantity, degree of contact, and use of force. To investigate correlations and provide information on the clustering of these characteristics, the present meta-analysis included data from 14,494 sexually abused individuals from 62 empirical peer-reviewed studies and doctoral theses. The results showed that victims of intrafamilial abuse were younger than victims of extrafamilial abuse. More force was used in abuse including higher degrees of physical contact. Intrafamilial abuse and early onset of abuse showed no statistically significant associations with either use of force or closer physical contact. Abuse was more frequent and/or committed over a longer time period when it (a) featured more contact or force, (b) involved a relative as a perpetrator, or (c) commenced when the child was younger. The associations were weak to moderate in strength.     

The parental problem-solving measure: Further evaluation with maltreating and nonmaltreating parents

Inability to solve problems related to parenting and other aspects of daily living is hypothesized to result in frustration or inability to cope, and contribute to the occurrence of problematic parental behavior such as physical abuse or neglect. The present investigation evaluated the Parental Problem-Solving Measure (PPSM), a procedure for measuring parental problem-solving skill of maltreating and nonmaltreating parents. Subjects were 60 parents with at least one child between the ages of 2 and 12. Subjects belonged to one of three groups: (a) physically abusive and/or neglectful parents (n=27); (b) nonmaltreating clinic parents seeking help for child behavior problems (n=12); and (c) nonmaltreating, non-help-seeking community parents (n=21). Results demonstrated the interrater reliability, internal consistency, and temporal stability of the PPSM and its five subscales. Support is also provided for the convergent and discriminant validity of the measure.     

Beliefs About Wife Beating Among Arab Men from Israel: The Influence of Their Patriarchal Ideology

Despite the recent increase in public and professional interest in the problem of wife beating in Arab society, in Israel, and in the rest of the Arab world, there is a serious lack of empirical research on different dimensions of the problem in those societies. This paper presents the results of a survey conducted among a systematic random sample of 362 Arab husbands from Israel, in an attempt to examine the contribution of patriarchal ideology toward explaining their beliefs about wife beating. Although about 58% of the participants indicated that there is no excuse for a man to beat his wife, 15–62% still justified wife beating on certain occasions (e.g., adultery, failure to obey husbands, disrespect for parents and relatives). In addition, although the participants tended to perceive abusive and violent husbands as responsible for their behavior, 52% still expressed understanding of that behavior and, on some occasions, 23–43% even blamed the wife for violence against her. Regression and multiple regression analyses revealed that over and above the participants' age and level of education, their masculine sex-role stereotypes, negative and traditional attitudes toward women, nonegalitarian marital role expectations, and familial patriarchal beliefs were the most significant predictors of beliefs about wife beating. Implications of the results and limitations of the study are also discussed.     

The quality of written expert testimony in alleged child sexual abuse: An empirical study

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to empirically evaluate written expert testimonies in cases of suspected child sexual abuse in Sweden. A total of 121 expert testimonies were rated with an instrument developed for the study, the SQX-12 (Gumpert et al., 2001) which is a 12-item checklist aimed to reflect consensus-established concepts of quality. Reports from different professional groups were compared, as were reports produced before and after the 1991 publication of national guidelines. The results suggested that the reports produced by professionals using statement analysis generally were of higher quality than reports written by professionals from child- and adolescent psychiatry. There was a slight increase in report quality, as measured by the SQX total score, over the studied years. However, it is concluded that the overall quality of written expert testimony on child credibility still does not reach the recommended level in Sweden.     

In their own voices: Report of a study on the later effects of child sexual abuse

Abstract

The purpose of this American study was to explore the later effects of sexual abuse in females. in pre or early adolescence. Based on interviews mith a sexually abused group and a comparison group. the study found that incidents of sexual abuse led to numerous harmful later outcomes for their victims. In contrast to a similar but non abused sample, the victim of abuse were characterized by: harboring thoughts of depression. death and suicidal ideation; experiencing lower self-esteem; having fewer close friends; experiencing more verbal altercatfons with their parent or parents; running away from home; having multiple sexual partners; engaging in sexual acti vity a t an earlier age; not using birth control; having an increased chance of becoming pregnant. andor an increased risk of contracting sexually transmitted disease, including HIV and AIDS. Based on these harmful later outcomes. there are many serious implications for child weUm policy and practice. The study's respondents valued assfstance that had helped them recover from the profound emotional trauma. However, they also indlcated that longer term services based in a multi-disciplinary setting, a one-stop facility in essence, would have provided them with more sensltive and effMtive assistance at the point of dfsclasure and subsequently.     

The association between childhood sexual abuse and sexual coercion in men: a test of possible mediators

ABSTRACT

We examined the associations between childhood sexual abuse (CSA), childhood physical abuse (CPA), sexual domain variables, antisocial tendencies, and sexually coercive behaviour in a non-forensic sample of 173 heterosexual men. CSA was associated with paraphilic interests and experiences, a more extensive sexual life history, and early antisocial tendencies. CPA was associated with paraphilic interests and experiences, more self-reported delinquency, higher sensation seeking, and early antisocial tendencies. Sexual domain variables (e.g. number of sexual partners, sexual interest in sadomasochism) mediated the link between CSA and sexually coercive behaviour, but antisocial domain variables (e.g. delinquency, sensation seeking) did not. Of the two sexual domains examined, extensive sexual life history rather than paraphilias mediated the association between CSA and sexually coercive behaviour. These results suggest CSA and CPA are associated with both sexual and antisocial outcomes, and that, for some victims of CSA, having an extensive sexual life history may account for the association between CSA and sexually coercive behaviour later in life.     

The impact of abuse allegations in perceiving parricide in the courtroom

One hundred and seventy five undergraduates (105 females) read a fictional criminal trial summary of a parricide case in which the juvenile defendant alleged sexual abuse or physical abuse or did not allege abuse. An allegation of either type of abuse led to a greater likelihood of a manslaughter conviction than a murder conviction and greater pro-child ratings (e.g., sympathy toward the defendant) compared to no abuse allegations. Specific evaluations of the defendant mediated the verdict results. In addition, there was no support for the claim that perceptions are more heinous for sexual abuse than physical abuse allegations and only limited support that perceptions for this type of case result in women being more pro-child defendant than men. The discussion focuses on how abuse allegations impact jurors' decision-making processes in parricide cases.     

Child sexual abuse within the Catholic Church: a review of global perspectives

Child sexual abuse by Catholic priests is a global issue. Reports of abuse proliferated in the US in 2002, giving the appearance that it was an American phenomenon. However, by 2010, it was clear that abuse in the Catholic Church had affected countries around the world. Scholars in the US have published reports evaluating the nature, scope, and causes of the problem. Similarly, public inquiries and commissions have investigated the crises in other western and English-speaking countries, and research is ongoing. The reports have produced similar findings and recommendations for preventing abuse in the future, including better education and training about abuse; the need to respond quickly and thoroughly to victim–survivors; transparency in response to abuse; and coordinated responses with civil authorities.     

Female-perpetrated sexual abuse: a review of victim and professional perspectives

Abstract

Professional attitudes towards female-perpetrated sexual abuse (FPSA) reportedly reflect the gender-role expectations found in broader society, which cast males almost exclusively as sexual aggressors or willing sexual recipients, females as sexually non-coercive or victims and male-perpetrated sexual abuse as particularly significant or injurious. Such views, however, appear to stand in contrast to the perspectives of individuals who have experienced FPSA. This paper details a systematic review of peer-reviewed quantitative and qualitative literature examining these different (professional and victim) perspectives. Although the methodological shortcomings of primary papers limit the conclusions that can be drawn, the findings suggest that victim and professional perspectives of FPSA remain discrepant; professionals generally considered FPSA as less serious, less harmful and less deserving of investigation than male-perpetrated abuse; while victims of FPSA felt their experiences influenced significantly their psychological wellbeing and abilities to form and maintain interpersonal relationships. These findings are discussed in relation to professional practice and suggestions for future research.     

Decontamination procedures for drugs of abuse in hair: are they sufficient?

This paper reviews the methods for decontaminating hair exposed to external solutions of drugs of abuse. Exposure of hair to cocaine at 1 μg/ml for 5 min is sufficient to contaminate hair, yet decontamination is a very slow process. Using externally contaminated hair, a number of decontamination procedures were attempted, and none removed all the contamination. The percentage of external contamination removed depended on the hair type, with thick black hair being the most resistant to decontamination. Hair treated by dying incorporated externally applied drugs differently, depending on the hair type. Thick black hair became more absorbent whereas thin brown hair became less absorbent. Kinetic wash criteria are evaluated for their ability/inability to determine if hair has been contaminated from external sources. A theoretical framework for the incorporation and removal of drugs from hair is discussed, and the hypothesis that inaccessible domains exist in hair which trap drugs is critically examined. The results presented in this paper strongly suggest that much more information on the decontamination of hair and the differentiation of exogenously and endogenously incorporated drugs is needed before hair analysis can be employed in most forensic applications. We propose that the radioactive tracer methods discussed herein are well suited for evaluating any new decontamination or extraction technique.     

Factors associated with contact child sexual abuse in a sample of indecent image offenders

Abstract

This study explored a sample of 244 UK adult male offenders convicted of offences involving indecent images of children (IIOC): 120 had a previous contact child sexual offence (defined as dual offenders) and 124 had no evidence of an offence against a child (defined as non-contact offenders). Offender groups were compared regarding their socio-demographic characteristics, previous convictions and IIOC possession. Key discriminatory factors that differentiated dual offenders were: access to children, previous offence history, sexual grooming and possession of IIOC that depicts similar-aged victims. In contrast, non-contact offenders could be identified from their greater amount and wider range of IIOC possession. The results suggest a homology between Internet behaviours, IIOC possession and victim selection. Implications for law enforcement agencies are discussed in terms of assisting investigative prioritisation by identifying those most at risk of committing sexual abuse against children.     

Malnutrition, a rare form of child abuse: diagnostic criteria

Infantile malnutrition is often difficult to diagnose as it is rarely observed in industrialized countries. It may be associated with physical violence or occur in isolation. The essential clinical sign is height and weight retardation, but malnutrition also causes a variety of internal and bone lesions, which lead to neuropsychological sequelae and death. We report a rare case of death by malnutrition in a female child aged 6 1/2 months. The infant presented height and weight growth retardation and internal lesions related to prolonged protein-energy malnutrition (fat and muscle wasting, thymic atrophy, liver steatosis) resulting in a picture of marasmus or kwashiorkor. We detail the positive and negative criteria that established the diagnosis of abuse, whereas the parents had claimed a simple dietary error.     

新型毒品氯胺酮分析方法研究进展

本文介绍了氯胺酮的提取及检测现状,比较了液液提取、固相萃取、固相微萃取等提取方的优劣和GC/NPD、GC/FID、GC/MS以及薄层色谱等不同分析方法的应用情况。     

Victim age,attractiveness and,abuse history as factors in the perception of a hypothetical child sexual abuse case

Abstract

This study examines the effect of victim age, victim attractiveness, the victim's abuse history and respondent gender have on attributions of blame and credibility towards a female victim in a hypothetical child sexual abuse case. A total of 397 respondents from a community sample read a hypothetical child sexual abuse (CSA) scenario in which victim age, victim attractiveness and the victim's abuse history were manipulated. Respondents then completed a 16-item blame attribution questionnaire. Several predictions were made. First, a 10-year-old victim would be deemed less blameworthy and more credible than a 15-year-old victim. Secondly, an attractive victim would be viewed more positively, and attributed less blame, than an unattractive victim. Thirdly, a victim with previous history of being sexual abused—either by the same or different perpetrators—would be deemed more culpable for their own CSA than a first time victims. Finally, female respondents were expected to take a more pro-victim and anti-perpetrator stance than males. Whilst comparatively few differences were found across victim attractiveness and abuse history. Overall findings were broadly in line with predictions. It was concluded that victim age and respondent gender play particularly important roles in the attribution of blame towards victims and perpetrators of child sexual abuse.     

The development of the comprehensive health assessment tool for young offenders within the secure estate

Health inequalities are high among offending groups. The comprehensive health assessment tool (CHAT) is a semi-structured assessment developed to provide a standardised approach to health screening for all young offenders admitted to the secure estate. The four sections of the CHAT (physical health, mental health, substance misuse and neurodisability) were evaluated within a two-phased study of male adolescents (aged 15–18?years) within a young offenders institution in the north-west of England. Within Phase 1, a consecutive sample of 127 new receptions was assessed using the physical health, mental health and substance misuse sections of the CHAT against a range of reference standard assessments. Phase 2 of the study evaluated the neurodisability section on 93 male adolescents against reference standard tools. The four sections of the CHAT demonstrated fair to good convergent validity when compared against reference standard tools in male offenders. The diagnostic accuracy rate was 76% for mental health, 63% for physical health, 83% for substance misuse and 53% for neurodisability when compared against reference standard assessment tools. The introduction of the CHAT offers the opportunity to enhance existing reception screening practices and create an integrated approach to the assessment of health needs across the secure estate.