Comparison of 369 sexually abused children and 318 non-abused children found five variables explaining 20% of the variance including the following: tendency of parent to have negative outlook on life; number of problems the victim's family presents; and victim's perception of some responsibility for the abuse. (DB)

A Responsiveness Index, measuring the extent to which an abusive parent had responded positively to various common interventions revealed variables with predictive significance: number of abused children in the family, number of birth and bonding problems, and number of previous contacts with other agencies by family members. (Author/CL)

Common family patterns observed in 25 cases of sibling incest were: (1) distant, inaccessible parents; (2) parental stimulation of sexual climate in the home; and (3) family secrets, especially with regard to extramarital affairs. (Author/DB)

The Child Sexual Abuse Treatment Program (CSATP) of Santa Clara, California, uses professionals from the community, volunteers, and self-help groups of parents and children to provide treatment with a humanistic attitude. A case study illustrates CSATP treatment for father-daughter incest. Effects of father, mother, daughter, and family are…

Sexually abused (N=37), physically abused (N=35), and nonabused clinical children (N=130) were compared. Family background of both abused groups had more family stress factors; the sexually abused children had a higher frequency of inappropriate sexual behavior. Sexually abused children were often victimized in single acts by nonrelated…

A questionnaire on family intactness, parental and sibling relationships, and personal physical/sexual abuse histories was completed by 178 adults in treatment for drug/alcohol addiction. Results revealed that 84 percent of the sample reported a history of child abuse/neglect. (Author/CL)

The study examined the extent to which child neglect and family dysfunction have contributed to the need for hospitalization of asthmatic children. Using a measure of global functioning, psychologic morbidity is associated with medical neglect. (Author/DB)

Comparison of attitudes of 40 young adult substance abusers and 40 nonabusers found perceived parental rejection in childhood was higher among abusers than nonabusers and substance abusers were more impaired in their current psychological adjustment than nonabusers. These two variables and education level produced classification accuracy of 91.2…

The special issue features 11 articles on the topic of child sexual abuse. Aspects of family dynamics, social services intervention, and school programs are discussed. (CL)

The study of 154 cases of intrafamilial sexual abuse found that a third of the offenders and about half of the mothers had experienced or been exposed to sexual abuse as children. Offenders are analyzed in terms of being the biological father in an intact family, stepfather/mother's live-in partner, or noncustodial father. (DB)

The report describes characteristics of 63 Brazilian families whose children were diagnosed as suffering from child abuse or neglect. Among conclusions were that domestic stress and socioeconomic deprivation in adults with a background of abuse and neglect often resulted in child maltreatment. (DB)

The paper discusses differences in familial and out-of-home care investigations in relation to identification and reporting of child abuse and neglect, assessing risk factors in the initial report, evidence gathering, essential components of the investigation, levels of culpability, and corrective action approaches. Specialized investigation units…

This study of 45 hospitalized abused children examined risk factors for child abuse when social class effects were minimized. Abused children were more likely to have younger parents and fewer siblings and to have been separated from their parents during the first year of life. Their parents were more likely to have been abused as children.…

The solution to the problems faced in preventing child abuse lies in increasing support for the family unit. Nonaccusatory services for families, such as Parents Anonymous, are needed, rather than continued criminalization of child abuse and reliance on the child protective services system for family services. (Author/PB)

This study examined the court records of 206 seriously abused or neglected children and their families in a large urban area and found that in over half the records a parent had been diagnosed as having an emotional disorder and/or low intelligence, with a majority of these diagnoses indicating significant impairment. (Author/DB)