Objective: This study aimed to examine the long-term correlates of childhood trauma in regard to interpersonal functioning in adulthood. Method: One hundred and nineteen (N=119) subjects from the Austen Riggs Follow-along Study were included in the study. The Traumatic Antecedent Interview scoring method was used to assess 10 types of childhood…

The paper focuses on four representative studies regarding definitions of sexual abuse, describes differences in the definitions used, and examines how such differences may contribute to discrepancies in the estimated prevalence. Historical and legal issues pertaining to the definition of child sexual abuse are also discussed. (Author/CL)

Multiple personality disorder is associated with a high incidence of physical and sexual abuse during childhood. While difficult to diagnose, multiple personality is easier to treat if diagnosed early in childhood or adolescence. Treatment for multiple personality focuses on establishing trust and communicating with and integrating the…

In Nigeria the most common cause of eardrum perforation in children is child abuse, often inflicted as slaps on the side of the head by employers of children working as house helpers. (DB)

Retrospective medical chart audits of physical and behavioral symptoms and laboratory findings suggestive of child sexual abuse were correlated with abuse allegations to classify 63 patients regarding probability of abuse. Results indicated 65% were probable or determined cases, suggesting the need for a systematic approach to the medical…

The authors present a chart review of 125 children referred in 1981-1983 because of sexual abuse. Among findings were that 60 percent were victims of intrafamilial abuse. Of the preschoolers, 72.5 percent were victims of intrafamilial abuse. At school age there was a reversal with 73 percent of 6-year-olds being abused by extrafamilial offenders.…

Undergraduates (N=1000) were surveyed concerning childhood sexual encounters. Forty-two percent of subjects reported a childhood sexual encounter with another child. High levels of coercion from the other child, homosexual encounters, and encounters with those other than friends predicted a more negative response by the child. (Author/DB)

The national survey of over 2500 adult men and women found a reported history of childhood sexual abuse of 27 percent in women and 16 percent in men. Correlates of higher rates of abuse (e.g., growing up in unhappy families) are reported for both men and women. (DB)

The study of 100 adult male alcoholics found that about one-third reported they had been physically abused as children. Abused alcoholics reported having more severe psychological symptoms and distress than nonabused counterparts, though they did not differ in the onset, severity, or treatment history for alcohol dependency. (Author/DB)

The study of 53 American Indian children identified as being abused and/or neglected found that alcohol abuse was present in parents/caretakers in 85 percent of the neglect cases and in 63 percent of the abuse cases and that child abuse and neglect occurred simultaneously in 65 percent of the sample. (Author/DB)

Physical or sexual abuse cases were analyzed to estimate the frequency and severity of child abuse committed by 1,165 individuals in nonparental caregiving roles. While caregiver age did not have a consistent effect on occurrence of physical abuse, notable differences between adolescents and adults were found in sexual abuse. (Author/JDD)

Responses of 1,328 educational personnel in 14 states along the Atlantic coastal region who work with migrant children indicated that the incidence of child abuse among migrant families was perceived to be substantially higher than for the general population or nonmigrant families of the same socioeconomic status. (Author/DB)

A survey of 500 admissions to a chemical dependency treatment program for adolescents found that 30 percent had been victims of physical and/or sexual abuse. There was a higher incidence of acting out behavior, runaways, legal involvement, and sexual promiscuity within the abused group. (Author/DB)

Forty-seven boys between the ages of four and 13 are described who have sexually molested children younger than themselves. Half (49 percent) of the boys had been sexually abused themselves and 19 percent physically abused. Mean age of perpetrators was 8 years 9 months with victims a mean age of 6 years 9 months. (Author/DB)

A study of over 9,000 custody/visitation dispute cases found that sexual abuse allegations occurred in 2 percent of contested cases. Such cases involve a variety of accused and accusing parties and are no less likely to be "unfounded" than other sexual abuse reports. (Author/JDD)