Suchergebnisse

There is growing evidence that cultural factors may influence symptom development and treatment referral patterns among abused and neglected children. To date, few treatment outcome studies have specifically examined the impact of race, culture, or ethnicity on treatment response among maltreated children. Those that have attempted to include these factors have typically suffered from lack of clarity of the meaning of these terms. This article reviews the available empirical evidence that addresses the influence of culture on symptom formation, treatment-seeking behaviors, treatment preference, and response following child maltreatment. Hypotheses regarding these findings are addressed, and implications for practice, research, and public policy are discussed.

Given that mass media techniques have been an effective tool within the public health field for affecting behavioral change, these strategies may prove successful for the primary prevention of child sexual abuse (CSA). This study was an independent evaluation of a CSA media campaign. Two hundred parents were recruited from eight sites across the United States. Results indicated that the combined mass media campaign affected knowledge about CSA at the time of intervention compared to no intervention. No significant differences were found in regards to CSA attitudes. A significant positive impact on primary prevention response behaviors assessed using hypothetical vignettes was found; however, no significant findings were noted for several other behavioral responses. Knowledge and behavioral gains were not maintained at the one-month follow-up. Small sample size at follow-up may have affected findings. Results of this study imply that media campaigns alone may not significantly affect primary prevention of CSA.

Research has demonstrated that youth who are sexually or physically abused are at greater risk for developing depression. Although the association between depression and child maltreatment has been well documented, much less is known about the potential differences in the clinical presentation of depressive symptomatology among these victims. The current study examines differences in symptoms of depression in adolescents based on differing histories of abuse (i.e., sexual abuse only, physical abuse only, sexual and physical abuse, and no history of sexual or physical abuse), abuse incident characteristics, and gender. Participants were drawn from a subsample (n = 548) from the National Survey of Adolescents who met criteria for major depressive episode in the past year. Results indicate significant differences in severity of depression and specific depressive symptoms based on type of abuse experienced and gender. Implications for the clinical assessment and treatment of depressed adolescents with regard to abuse history are discussed.

Limited attention has been paid to the development and evaluation of interventions that reduce risk for substance use, while also targeting trauma-related psychopathology among maltreated adolescents. Risk Reduction through Family Therapy (RRFT) is a multicomponent treatment that integrates principles and interventions from existing empirically supported treatments. The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the feasibility of implementation and initial efficacy of RRFT through an open pilot trial involving a small sample (N = 10) of female adolescents (aged 13—17 years) who had experienced at least one memorable sexual assault in their lifetime. Measures of substance use and substance use risk factors (e.g., family functioning), posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and depression symptoms were assessed pre- and posttreatment as well as at 3-month and 6-month posttreatment follow-up assessments. Results demonstrated reductions in multiple areas, including substance use and related risk factors, PTSD, and depression symptoms, which were maintained through follow-up. Clinical implications and future directions with this line of research are discussed.

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is often considered the primary problematic outcome of child sexual abuse (CSA). However, a number of other, relatively understudied negative sequelae appear to be prevalent as well. Data from 269 adolescents with a CSA history from the National Survey of Adolescents—Replication Study were therefore used to examine the prevalence of risky behaviors (i.e., problematic alcohol and drug use, delinquent behavior) and depression in this sample. The frequencies of these problems in youth with and without a history of PTSD also were examined. Results indicated that risky behaviors and depression were reported as or more frequently than PTSD. Among youth with a history of PTSD, depression and delinquent behavior were more common than among those without a history of PTSD. However, there were no differences between adolescents with and without a history of PTSD in reported problematic substance use. Findings highlight the need for comprehensive trauma-informed interventions for CSAexposed adolescents.

Limited research has examined whether similar patterns in injurious spanking and other forms of child physical abuse (CPA) exist across specific ethnic/racial groups. The authors examined and compared differences in the lifetime prevalence of injurious spanking and CPA in two national samples of adolescents across ethnic/racial groups and over time. Participants were 4,023 youth (12—17 years) and 3,614 youth (12—17 years) who participated in the 1995 National Survey of Adolescents (NSA) and 2005 National Survey of Adolescents—Replication (NSA-R), respectively. Adolescents, who were identified through random digit dial procedures, completed a telephone interview assessment. Results indicated significant ethnic/racial variation across groups in reports of injurious spanking in the NSA and the NSA-R samples; however, significant differences were not observed within groups between the two samples over time. Ethnic/racial differences also were found between groups in reports of CPA in the NSA-R sample. Limitations and future directions of this research are discussed.