Judicial decision making in timely and delayed prosecutions of child sexual abuse in Canada: A study of honesty and cognitive ability in assessments of credibility.

Child sexual abuse is an alarmingly common criminal offense. Whether prosecutions occur shortly after the alleged offense or after a lengthy delay, complainant credibility is often the central issue at trial. In both law and in psychology, credibility is said to be a function of two relatively distinct factors: honesty and cognitive ability. Complainant age informs evaluations of both such that younger children are seen as more honest but less cognitively competent than older children and adults. When a complainant describes a recent event, current age may be used to assess honesty and cognitive ability. However, when a complainant describes an event that occurred in the distant past, we argue that current age is most informative in evaluations of honesty, whereas age at the time of the alleged offense should inform evaluations of cognitive ability. In this research, we analyzed judicial assessments of complainants' credibility in 52 timely (child complainant) and 49 delayed (adult complainant) criminal prosecutions of child sexual abuse. Judicial comments concerning cognitive ability suggest that adults were viewed more positively than children, despite the fact that all complainants were children when the alleged offense occurred. As expected, comments related to honesty suggested that children were seen to be more honest than adults unless they had been exposed to suggestive influences. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Assessment of sexual abuse allegations in child custody cases.

Family courts frequently rely on the expertise of mental health professionals to assess allegations of sexual abuse within the context of child custody evaluations. Such evaluations are complex and require knowledge of techniques used in sexual abuse and sexual offender evaluations, as well as knowledge of child custody practices. Preliminary findings from a national survey of 84 psychologists indicated that respondents tend to adhere to the child custody guidelines of the American Psychological Association. However, few practitioners followed formal models, protocols, or guidelines when evaluating alleged victims or alleged perpetrators of sexual abuse in conjunction with child custody disputes. Implications for professional practice are discussed, along with a proposed comprehensive model for assessing sexual abuse allegations in child custody cases. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Considerations for experts in assessing the credibility of recovered memories of child sexual abuse: The importance of maintaining a case-specific focus.

In this article, the authors argue that a variety of psychological factors stand in the way of providing expert advice to the courts in terms of assessing the credibility of a complainant's account of sexual abuse when there is a significant delay in reporting. These include difficulties in assessing (a) the complainant's account of how he or she claims to have remembered or forgotten the abuse, (b) whether (and how) the claim of abuse originated within a therapeutic setting, and (c) the difficulty of generalizing from empirical evidence. It is argued that all of these issues can be more easily avoided if experts maintain a case-specific focus. In this article, the authors review both the psychological and legal controversies surrounding the false-recovered memory debate, discuss how courts approach the admissibility and use of recovered memory testimony, and conclude that expert witnesses should carefully consider the above points before drawing general conclusions from the literature and applying them to individual cases. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Introduction to special section on clinical intervention in child sexual abuse.

The purpose of this special section is to further research, clinical practice, and teaching in the area of child sexual abuse. Although most of the articles are written by psychologists and are relevant to research, practice, and teaching by psychologists, the articles have relevance to other professionals as well. The special section is composed of seven articles. The first focuses on the effects of child sexual abuse. The next five articles have relevance for assessment and treatment. The last article focuses on teaching clinical intervention in child sexual abuse. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Women's history of sexual abuse, their sexuality, and sexual self-schemas.

In this study, the authors assessed 48 female survivors of child sexual abuse (CSA) and 71 female control participants using measures of adult sexual function, psychological function (i.e., depression and anxiety), and sexual self-schemas. The primary purpose of this study was to examine whether differences existed between women with and without a history of CSA in the way that they viewed themselves as a sexual person and, if so, whether such differences mediated the link between early unwanted sexual experiences and later adult sexuality. CSA survivors were found to view themselves as less romantic and passionate than women who were not abused. In particular, CSA survivors showed an inverse relationship between romantic/passionate sexual self-schemas and negative sexual affect during sexual arousal. The relationship between CSA and negative sexual affect was independent from symptoms of depression and anxiety, suggesting that the impact of CSA on sexual self-schemas may be independent from the impact that the abuse may have in other areas of the survivor's life. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

An examination of risky sexual behavior and HIV in victims of child abuse and neglect: A 30-year follow-up.

Objective: This article examined links between childhood maltreatment and risky sexual behavior (early sexual contact, promiscuity, prostitution) and HIV in adulthood. Design: Using a prospective cohort design, physically and sexually abused and neglected children (ages 0-11) with documented cases during 1967-1971 were matched with nonmaltreated children and followed into adulthood. Main Outcome Measures: Early sexual contact, promiscuity, and prostitution were assessed through in-person interviews and official records (prostitution) at approximate age 29 (N = 1196). HIV tests were conducted at approximate age 41 (N = 631). Results: Child maltreatment was associated with prostitution (OR = 2.47, 95% CI = 1.35-4.50) and early sexual contact (OR = 1.73, 95% CI = 1.24-2.40). Prevalence of HIV in the abuse/neglect group was twice that in controls (OR = 2.35, 95% CI = .64-8.62), although this difference did not reach conventional levels of statistical significance. SEM provided significant support for a model linking child abuse and neglect to prostitution through early sexual contact and a marginal link to HIV through prostitution. Conclusion: These findings provide prospective evidence that maltreated children are more likely to report sexual contact before age 15, engage in prostitution by young adulthood, and test positive for HIV in middle adulthood. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Pathways from child sexual abuse to adult depression: The role of parental socialization of emotions and alexithymia.

Objective: Depression is common among adult survivors of child sexual abuse (CSA), but the intervening processes responsible for this outcome have not yet been fully delineated. The present study investigated the mediating role of perceived parental emotion socialization and alexithymia (difficulties identifying and describing feelings) in explaining the link between CSA and adult depressive symptoms in female veterans. Method: Cross-sectional data were collected from 110 female veterans who completed self-report questionnaires measuring demographics, sexual victimization history, perceived parental emotion socialization, and current symptoms of alexithymia and depression. Results: Linear regression analyses showed that CSA predicted greater depression, which was partly accounted for by alexithymia. Less positive socialization practices by both parents fully mediated the relationship between CSA and alexithymia. When these factors were examined together in a path model, greater CSA severity predicted perceptions of fewer positive socialization practices by mothers, which, in turn, was associated with greater alexithymia and depression. Conclusions: Perceptions of early positive emotion socialization and current alexithymia may contribute to experience of depression among sexually victimized female veterans. Interventions aimed at targeting emotion regulation skills and perceptions associated with other salient childhood experiences such as emotion socialization by parents could help reduce adult depression among CSA survivors. Furthermore, encouraging positive parenting practices for caregivers of abused children could allay subsequent affective symptoms. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Co-occurrence of avoidant personality disorder and child sexual abuse predicts poor outcome in long-standing eating disorder.

Few consistent predictive factors for eating disorder have been identified across studies. In the current 5-year prospective study, the objective was to examine whether (a) personality disorder and child sexual abuse predict the course of severity of eating disorder symptoms after inpatient treatment and (b) how the predictors interact. A total of 74 patients with long-standing eating disorder and mean age of 30 years were assessed at the beginning and end of inpatient therapy and at 1-, 2-, and 5-year follow-up. A mixed model was used to examine the predictors. Avoidant personality disorder and child sexual abuse interacted in predicting high levels of eating disorder over a long-term course. These results suggest that eating disorder, avoidant personality disorder, and sequelae after child sexual abuse are potential targets for treatment that need further investigation. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Child sexual abuse: Critical perspectives on prevention, intervention, and treatment.

Reviews the book, Child sexual abuse: Critical perspectives on prevention, intervention, and treatment edited by Christopher R. Bagley and Ray J. Thomlison (1991). This book is a compilation of a series of literature reviews originally commissioned by Health and Welfare Canada in 1987 and completed in 1988. The individual papers included in this edited version represent a cross section of Canadian academicians, clinicians, and case workers who are integrally involved in the policies and practices regarding child sexual abuse in Canada. The work provides a comprehensive perspective on prevention at the primary, secondary, and tertiary levels. The list of authors is impressive in terms of their expertise and experience. At a time when numerous books on child sexual abuse are appearing on the market, it is nice to see a book that has some unusual aspects. Aside from its distinctly Canadian perspective, the book addresses several important, yet frequently ignored, topics. The book provides an up-to-date review of several core issues: conceptualization of the problem, prevention strategies, impact of sexual abuse, investigative interviewing, treatment outcome studies, and treatment issues for child molesters. The more unique topics include a review of the strategies used to evaluate prevention programs, prevalence rates among a number of special populations, the role of medical practitioners in preventing and intervening in child sexual abuse, and sexual abuse and exploitation among disabled individuals. Overall, I can recommend this book for clinicians and researchers in Canada and elsewhere who are interested in child sexual abuse. This compilation of literature reviews highlights the leading role that Canadian social service agencies have taken in developing programs for sexually abused children and their families. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

When worlds collide: Social science, politics, and the Rind et al. (1998) child sexual abuse meta-analysis.

A 1998 meta-analysis by B. Rind, et al (see record 1998-04232-002) in Psychological Bulletin indicated that the relations between child sexual abuse and later psychopathology were weak in magnitude. Shortly thereafter, the article was condemned by media personality Dr. Laura Schlessinger and numerous conservative organizations and was denounced by the US Congress. In addition, the American Psychological Association (APA) distanced itself from the authors' conclusions. This incident raises questions regarding (a) authors' responsibilities concerning the reporting of politically controversial findings, (b) academic and scientific freedom, (c) the role of the APA in disabusing the public and media of logical errors and fallacies, and (d) the substantial gap between popular and academic psychology and the responsibility of the APA to narrow that gap. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Predicting the impact of child sexual abuse on women: The role of abuse severity, parental support, and coping strategies.

Female Navy recruits (N=5,226) completed surveys assessing history of childhood sexual abuse (CSA), childhood strategies for coping with CSA, childhood parental support, and current psychological adjustment. Both CSA and parental support independently predicted later adjustment. In analyses examining whether CSA victims' functioning was associated with CSA severity (indexed by 5 variables), parental support (indexed by 3 variables), and coping (constructive, self-destructive, and avoidant), the negative coping variables were the strongest predictors. A structural equation model revealed that the effect of abuse severity on later functioning was partially mediated by coping strategies. However, contrary to predictions, the model revealed that childhood parental support had little direct or indirect impact on adult adjustment. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The effects of child sexual abuse: Comment on Rind, Tromovitch, and Bauserman (1998).

Comments on the article by B. Rind, P. Tromovitch, and R. Bauserman (see record 1998-04232-002) which examined the long-term effects of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) by meta-analyzing studies of college students. The authors reported that effects "were neither pervasive nor typically intense" and that "men reacted much less negatively than women" (p. 22) and recommended value-neutral reconceptualization of the CSA construct. The current analysis revealed numerous problems in that study that minimized CSA-adjustment relations, included use of a healthy sample, an inclusive definition of CSA, failure to correct for statistical attenuation, and misreporting of original data. Rind et al.'s study's main conclusions were not supported by the original data. As such, attempts to use their study to argue that an individual has not been harmed by sexual abuse constitute a serious misapplication of its findings. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

"I keep that hush-hush": Male survivors of sexual abuse and the challenges of disclosure.

Disclosure is a prominent variable in child sexual abuse research, but little research has examined male disclosure experiences. Sixteen male survivors of childhood sexual abuse were interviewed regarding experiences of disclosure. Analytic techniques included a grounded theory approach to coding and the use of conceptually clustered matrices. Participants described distinct personal (e.g., lack of cognitive awareness, intentional avoidance, emotional readiness, and shame), relational (e.g., fears about negative repercussions, isolation), and sociocultural (e.g., lack of acceptance for men to experience or acknowledge victimization) reasons for their struggles with disclosure. These results highlight that barriers to disclosure exist in multiple domains of experience and are encountered across the lifespan. Implications for future research and clinical interventions are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Child abuse: New directions in prevention and treatment across the lifespan.

Reviews the book, Child abuse: New directions in prevention and treatment across the lifespan by David A. Wolfe, Robert J. McMahon, and Ray DeV. Peters (see record 1997-30225-000). This edited book offers a diverse collection of chapters that describe innovative approaches to the treatment and prevention of child physical and sexual abuse. Readers can peruse contributions from leaders in the field that depict recent efforts to address the complexity of these problems. This book is a valuable addition to the libraries of researchers, clinicians, and students who are interested in issues related to the treatment and prevention of the physical and sexual abuse of children. It will be especially useful to those already acquainted with the characteristics and consequences of child abuse, who will find their understanding of this topic broadened by its contributions. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Cognitive remediation in the treatment of stimulant abuse disorders: A research agenda.

Treatment of substance abuse disorders is often characterized by high dropout rates. Patients who fail to complete a treatment course often are worse at follow-up than those patients who received the full treatment course. Cognitive deficits, including impulsivity, have been noted as a major determinant of treatment retention and successful outcomes. This review summarizes the recent literature on cognitive deficits in stimulant users and their remediation. Cognitive deficits can be remediated through computer-assisted cognitive rehabilitation in residential settings. A few studies have shown this can be transferred to the outpatient setting although much research remains to be done in this setting. Pharmacological remediation of cognitive deficits is a new target for medications development in the treatment of substance abuse disorders. Psychiatric disorders; for example, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, are amenable to pharmacological remediation of cognitive deficits. Several cognitive deficits (set-shifting, attentional bias, reversal learning, impulsivity, and risky decision making) and their possible remediation with pharmacological agents are presented in the review. Recommendations for the research agenda include comments on testing hierarchies, clinical trial design issues, and types of pharmacological agents. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A qualitative study of childhood sexual abuse survivors in Taiwan: Toward a transactional and ecological model of coping.

In this study, we aimed to explore the experiences of 10 female Taiwanese childhood sexual abuse (CSA) survivors (age range = 20–39 years) to broaden our understanding of the post-abuse coping process in a Chinese sociocultural context. This investigation was grounded on a feminist paradigm, and the consensual qualitative research method (Hill et al., 2005; Hill, Thompson, & Williams, 1997) was utilized as the strategy of inquiry. The transactional and ecological model of coping that emerged from the data describes the dynamic interplay among (a) intrapersonal, interpersonal, and sociocultural factors and (b) the coping process and outcomes of CSA survivors. Implications for research on CSA recovery and culturally appropriate interventions in a collectivistic sociocultural context are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Assessing dangerousness: Violence by sexual offenders, batterers and child abusers.

Reviews the book, Assessing dangerousness: Violence by sexual offenders, batterers and child abusers by Jacqueline C. Campbell (see record 1995-98215-000). This is a valuable volume of consistently well written chapters by authors of diverse backgrounds. The book's chapters identify research on clusters of risk factors for child abuse, wife assault, homicide by battered women and sexual offending. The identification of risk factors is the prevalent concept in contemporary violence prediction research. Risk factors are determined by researching actual circumstances of violence and statistically identifying antecedent events that appear to be pertinent. The current text is a readable and well referenced overview of the contemporary state of research efforts to address the notion of dangerousness potential. Dangerousness is reviewed in several key interpersonal areas. We anticipate that the text will be attractive to many average readers who unfortunately may be mislead not only by the series editor's stated aspiration, but also by the misguided illusion that the field is slowly progressing towards actual empirical prediction of dangerousness. For the professional reader who has practical experience with violent behavior, we anticipate that the text will be a valuable concise resource for at least the next several years. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Anger as a vehicle in the treatment of women who are sexual abuse survivors: Reattributing responsibility and accessing personal power.

Some clinicians view client anger as a problematic symptom to be reduced, whereas others view it as an opportunity for therapeutic development. The present authors describe how client anger, a fitting emotional response to abuse, can work as a vehicle to help sexual abuse survivors reattribute responsibility and develop personal efficacy. The role of anger in the healing process of the sexual abuse survivor is explored through 2 case studies. It is suggested that by reframing anger as a vehicle for recovery rather than a symptom, therapists can learn to effectively incorporate anger work (which involves successfully negotiating any dynamics that cause therapist discomfort) into the treatment of survivors. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

An evaluation of cognitive processing therapy for the treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder related to childhood sexual abuse.

This study compared the effectiveness of cognitive processing therapy for sexual abuse survivors (CPT-SA) with that of the minimal attention (MA) given to a wait-listed control group. Seventy-one women were randomly assigned to 1 of the 2 groups. Participants were assessed at pretreatment and 3 times during posttreatment: immediately after treatment and at 3-month and 1-year follow-up, using the Clinician-Administered Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Scale (D. Blake et al., 1995), the Beck Depression Inventory (A. T. Beck, R. A. Steer, & G. K. Brown, 1996), the Structured Clinical Interview for the DSM-IV (R. L. Spitzer, J. B. W. Williams, & M. Gibbon, 1995; M. B. First et al., 1995), the Dissociative Experiences Scale-II (E. M. Bernstein & F. W. Putnam, 1986), and the Modified PTSD Symptom Scale (S. A. Falsetti, H. S. Resnick, P. A. Resick, & D. G. Kilpatrick, 1993). Analyses suggested that CPT-SA is more effective for reducing trauma-related symptoms than is MA, and the results were maintained for at least 1 year. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Understanding mass allegations of satanist child abuse in early modern Sweden: Demographic data relevant to the R?ttvik outbreak of 1670-1671.

Demographic characteristics of 79 women who were accused of satanist child abductions in the parish of R?ttvik, Sweden, in 1670-1671; 53 adults who promoted such accusations by bringing children to interrogations; and samples from the general population of R?ttvik were compared. Results indicate that men were more likely to promote allegations of satanism than women and that these men were more likely to be married than the average R?ttvik male. Promoters of allegations were older than average parishioners, and land-owning people who were involved in the panic owned more land than landowners who were not involved. People who were involved in the panic knew less about Luther's catechism than members of the general population. It is suggested that most of these findings may reflect a tendency of people who lived in the proximity of children to become involved in the panic. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)