Perception of the Community towards Child Sexual Abuse: A Case of Chawama Lusaka, Zambia

A number of scholars have reported high incidence of sexual abuse cases among children in the communities. However, little is known about the perceptions the community people have towards child sexual abuse cases. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the perception of the community towards child sexual abuse which hinders the disclosure and reporting of abuse cases. Data were collected through focused group discussions and indepth interviews, with sixty nine participants from nine (9) focused group discussions and nine (9) indepth interviews. Participants were the general community members and relatives to abused children. The interviews were recorded verbatim and transcribed;analysis of data was done using qualitative thematic analysis. Three themes emerged summarizing the factors associated with non-reporting of child sexual abuse cases which included, fear of family and community breakdown, relationship between the victim and the perpetrator and inadequate service provision by the police which also reflected the community’s role in supporting the child. In conclusion the study therefore showed that child sexual abuse is common in Zambia and cases are still on the increase. However, there is great need to enforce laws regarding sexual abuse and in addition great change in attitude is needed to prevent occurrence of cases.

Community Attitudes towards Child Sexual Abuse: A Case of Chawama Lusaka, Zambia

Background: Child sexual abuse continues to be an issue of great concern and recognized as a public health problem in Zambia. Hence the study examined community attitudes and beliefs that shape communities perceptions towards child sexual abuse, the interaction between adults and children which consequently hinder reporting of child sexual abuse cases. Methods: A qualitative study design was employed. Nine focus group discussions (FGD) with 49 participants comprising 5 to 6 participants in each FGD and nine indepth interviews guided by an interview guide were used to collect data. Participants were selected using purposive sampling. The collected data were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using thematic analysis. Results: Two major themes namely: 1) Defilement, an unacceptable yet concealed phenomenon, and 2) Parental negligence as a major contributor to child sexual abuse, emerged from the data. Participants highlighted that communities regarded child abuse to be necessary for reported only if the abused child was less than 5 years old, a female, and if the trauma the child was subjected to was severe. This was because older girls were seen to be able to have consensual sex, and boys were traditionally viewed as being strong and thus, not report most cases. Parents were also seen to be losing control over their children as most of them were involved in excessive alcohol intake, leading to failure in managing their children. Poverty was another aspect reported to have led parents to send their children into prostitution. As a result parents could not report, as they felt they partly contributed to their children being sexually abused. Conclusion/Recommendations: The study showed that communities do not accept child sexual abuse, but yet they were reluctant to report the cases. It is imperative therefore, that communities learn the importance of reporting sexual abuse cases;as failure to report is risky behavior that can put the abused child and others at risk of other negative vices too.

Social Skills and Behavioral Problems in Adolescents with Child Sexual Abuse, and Their Relation to Basal Cortisol

Child sexual abuse (CSA) is a stressful associated with alterations in the hypothalamic-hypophyseal-adrenal (HPA) axis and behavioral problems. Children and adolescents with history of CSA could have higher cortisol levels, as these have been associated with deleterious changes in brain regions involved in controlling social behavior and self-control. The aim of the present study was to determine the relationship among basal cortisol levels, social skills and behavioral problems in adolescents with CSA by evaluating two groups: one consisting of 12 - 15-year-old girls with CSA (n = 23), the other healthy comparison adolescents with no history of child abuse (n = 23). Social skills and behavioral problems were assessed using the Social Skills Improvement System. Three saliva samples were collected from each participant. The girls with CSA had lower social skills and more behavioral problems, as well as, higher cortisol concentrations. Besides, these participants showed significant negative correlations among cortisol levels and social skills, as well as, positive correlations with behavioral problems scales. It is feasible to suggest that the social deficiencies observed in these participants with CSA are related to alterations of the HPA.

BS-SC Model:A Novel Method for Predicting Child Abuse Using Borderline-SMOTE Enabled Stacking Classifier

For a long time,legal entities have developed and used crime prediction methodologies.The techniques are frequently updated based on crime evaluations and responses from scientific communities.There is a need to develop type-based crime prediction methodologies that can be used to address issues at the subgroup level.Child maltreatment is not adequately addressed because children are voiceless.As a result,the possibility of developing a model for predicting child abuse was investigated in this study.Various exploratory analysis methods were used to examine the city of Chicago’s child abuse events.The data set was balanced using the Borderline-SMOTE technique,and then a stacking classifier was employed to ensemble multiple algorithms to predict various types of child abuse.The proposed approach successfully predicted crime types with 93%of accuracy,precision,recall,and F1-Score.The AUC value of the same was 0.989.However,when compared to the Extra Trees model(17.55),which is the second best,the proposed model’s execution time was significantly longer(476.63).We discovered that Machine Learning methods effectively evaluate the demographic and spatial-temporal characteristics of the crimes and predict the occurrences of various subtypes of child abuse.The results indicated that the proposed Borderline-SMOTE enabled Stacking Classifier model(BS-SC Model)would be effective in the real-time child abuse prediction and prevention process.

EEG Correlations during WCST Performance in Female Adolescents with Sexual Abuse-Related Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

Child sexual abuse (CSA) survivors can present post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and alterations in EEG activity and cognition. The aim of this study was to evaluate EEG correlations in female adolescents with CSA-related PTSD during performance of the Wisconsin Card-Sorting Test (WSCT). Inter- and intrahemispheric EEG correlations (INTERr and INTRAr) of those subjects were calculated at rest and during performance of WCST. On this task, the PTSD group obtained higher scores than the control group for the number of correct responses and failure to maintain set. In the between-groups comparisons, the PTSD group presented a higher INTERr between frontal areas in the gamma and slow bands, as well as a higher correlation in the delta band at Fp1-F3;however, this group presented a lower INTRAr between Fp1-P3 and Fp2-P4 in the theta and alpha1 bands. In the comparison between conditions, the PTSD group presented an increased correlation during execution of the WCST, mainly in the gamma band, while the control group showed a decrease of INTRAr in the slow bands. Results are discussed with respect to the influence of CSA- related PTSD on the development of cognition and functional connectivity in the brain.

Child abuse and psychopathy: Interplay, gender differences and biological correlates

Child abuse is an important source of mental and physical adverse consequences for victims,their family,and their community.The impact of violence during childhood on the development of the victim is a very sensitive theme.Other than internalizing symptoms,it is interesting to analyze the possibility that a victim may assume the role of persecutor.With this aim,we evaluate Literature and examine the interplay among different types of child abuse(emotional neglect,emotional abuse,physical neglect,physical abuse and sexual abuse)and the development of psychopathy.We consider the role of post-traumatic stress disorder and that of personal environment as potential mediators between abuse and psychopathy.Furthermore,an in-depth analysis on possible differences due to the victim's gender is performed.Finally,analysis focused on genetic variants,such as the polymorphism of 5HTT and MAO-A,or a biological alteration,like the difference in daily cortisol levels that could be related to the development of psychopathy after a trauma.

EEG Correlations during a Working Memory Task with Emotional Stimuli in Girls with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Secondary to Sexual Abuse

Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse (CSA) can develop Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), alterations in the prefrontal cortex, changes in electroencephalographic (EEG) activity, and lower performance on working memory tasks. The aim of this study was to characterize brain electrical correlations in girls with PTSD secondary to CSA during a working memory task based on recognizing emotional facial stimuli. Girls aged 8 - 16 years old were evaluated: 12 with PTSD secondary to CSA, and 12 healthy girls with no history of abuse. EEG activity during a working memory task with emotional stimuli was recorded, and the inter- and intra-hemispheric correlations that assessed the functional connectivity among different cortical regions were analyzed. The PTSD group showed lower performance than controls on the working memory task while watching happy faces, while the EEG of this group showed greater intrahemispheric correlation among frontal areas and between frontal and posterior cortical regions. Also, the PTSD group had lower interhemispheric correlations between posterior temporal areas. The higher intrahemispheric correlation in the PTSD group could indicate that those girls used more brain areas when performing the task, likely because it required greater effort. The lower inter-posterior temporal correlation could be attributed to a reduction of the corpus callosum.

Treatment of Egyptian Drama to Child Abuse

Child abuse is considered the priorities of those who are concerned with human rights.There are many children in Egypt who are affected by violence,abuse,and exploitation with many factors that worsen their situation.The reasons for the high rate of child abuse are the combination of profound social problems,like poverty,family dysfunctional,lack of awareness,low educational attainment,and lack of safety net of child care pre-school as well as health care.Due to studies,drama is considered one of the most important means of entertainment in various television dramas.Also,drama is a pattern of cultural creativity and source of consciousness formation at the individual and collectively level,through its impact on cognitive processes,feelings,and shaping people vision of life.This study aimed at monitoring the treatment of drama to child’s issues,in the light of increasing rates of children labor,begging,child displacement,harassment and other issues,and accordingly the consequences of child abuse.The treatment of films study sample to children street and the focus on their loss of the sense of society are seen to be their greatest enemy.The seriousness of this problem increases because the number of these children is increasing.This is the alarm because they will turn on society,especially as there is need to shed light on them to solve their problems and contain them.We have to deal with those children psychologically first and to be qualified to deal with the community that brought them to this degree.

Presenting a Treatment Concept for People with a Self-Reported Sexual Interest in Children in an Outpatient Setting

Results of several studies point to an increase in reported child sexual abuse offences in Germany and an even higher number of undetected cases are assumed. In addition, even more cases regarding the distribution of child pornography have been reported. On behalf of victims of child sexual abuse and for the general public, a preventive treatment approach for people with a sexual interest in children is of prime importance. Currently, there is no published, evaluated therapeutic approach for treating potential offenders, dark field offenders and bright field offenders with a sexual interest in children in an outpatient setting. We designed a cognitive-behavioral therapeutic approach that integrated need- and resource-oriented concepts for the specific treatment of those people. This treatment program comprises thirteen modules and is established for a period of about one and a half years. The therapy concept is presented in detail and we report experiences with two male clients. We found a reduction of child abusive behavior (on- and off-line), cognitive distortions and subjective psychological distress, an increase of the extent of self-perceived sexual self-regulation, life satisfaction and self-efficacy in general and a high level of clients’ satisfaction with the therapy concept. The present therapy concept shows promising results as a potential viable treatment program to protect children by reaching out to people with a self-reported sexual interest in children in an outpatient setting, but further research is necessary.

The relationship between child maltreatment and axis I mental disorders: A summary of the published literature from 2006 to 2010

Research has indicated that child maltreatment is associated with an increased likelihood of mental disorders and suicidal ideation and attempts that continues into adulthood. The purpose of this paper is to provide a synopsis of the recent published research from 2006 to 2010 on the association between child maltreatment and Axis I mental disorders and suicidal ideation and attempts. The databases MEDLINE and PsycINFO were searched for relevant and high quality citations up to October 2010. The results indicated that all types of child maltreatment examined are linked to reduced mental health. A general noted trend in the literature is that earlier age of onset of child maltreatment is associated with poorer mental health outcomes. Sex differences do exist with some disorders being more likely among males (e.g., anti-social behaviour) and other more likely among females (e.g., depression, PTSD, substance use disorders) following child maltreatment.

Demographic characteristics of convicted child sexual abusers in South of Sweden,between 2013 and 2018:a pilot study

This study evaluates variables concerning demographic characteristics for all adult male offenders convicted of Child Sexual Abuse(CSA)aged 0–17 in Malmö,Sweden between 2013 and 2018.All convictions(n=18)based on court documents from the District Court,the Court of Appeals and information from the Swedish Tax Agency were reviewed.A total of 30 victims were identified.Frequency analyses show that the most common features were that of a single offender,averaging 25 years old,with a non-Swedish background and a high school degree.The predominately extrafamilial CSA(i.e.committed by an acquaintance to the family)occurred in a private setting and consisted of penetrative acts.Girls averaging 13years old were abused multiple times,under fear and pressure.Although assumptions based on these results are preliminary,they provide a clearer image of the typical circumstances under which CSA occurred within this time frame and geographical location.This study is a first attempt to construct an overview of demographic characteristics of CSA.As more data are gathered from this region,more sophisticated analyses can be conducted,providing stronger generalizations.Information of this kind may be important for research,classification of offender profiling and in case linking.

How to Ensure Children’s Credibility of Testimony in Sexual Abuse Cases

There were several sexual abuse cases in Taiwan where the defendants having committed child rapes either received light punishment or held not guilty.This led to the White Rose Movement in 2010,whereby the court decisions were criticized ruthlessly by people.Among those problematic court decisions with absurd reasoning,we have suspected that the legislative purpose of statutory rape and that of forcible rape applied to children and adults separately were mistakenly mixed.It resulted in the consent of intercourse becoming a legal constituent requirement taken into consideration in child rape cases.However,a child’s consent on sex is invalid in the U.S.laws.Since the child’s testimony was thought less creditable by some psychologists,Taiwan Residents courts have admitted the reports of defendant’s polygraph and child victim’s hymen tests to be presented in court to ensure the child’s credibility.This paper,thus,based on Taiwan’s judicial experience,aims to explore the child’s credibility of testimony from legal and forensic linguistic aspects and to present an assessing method for reference.

北京市远郊区小学教师开展预防性侵害教育的现况及其影响因素

目的了解北京市远郊区小学教师开展预防性侵害教育的现况及其影响因素,为我国农村地区开展预防性侵害教育及教师培训提供参考依据。方法采用分层整群抽样,随机抽取北京市远郊3区6所小学452名教师进行线上调查,采用单因素方差分析和多元线性回归分析教师开展预防性侵害教育的影响因素。结果共回收有效问卷428份(94.7%)。“儿童性侵害问题存在于世界各地”和“对一个儿童进行过性侵害的人,将很有可能再多次侵犯儿童”的回答正确率最高(88.6%),“儿童报告说受到了性侵害,几乎所有都可信”的回答正确率最低(26.4%);95.3%的教师赞成“在小学开展预防儿童性侵害教育”,91.8%的教师认为“开展教育有助于预防儿童性侵害发生”;46.0%的教师开展过某种形式的预防性侵害教育实践。高职称(B=0.484,95%CI:0.214~0.753)、担任班主任(B=0.645,95%CI:0.256~1.034)和有培训经历(B=2.114,95%CI:1.654~2.573)的教师,教育实践得分更高(P<0.05)。结论北京市远郊区小学教师整体对于预防性侵害教育态度积极,但知识和实践较少;亟须加强教师相关教育的培训,以提高其预防儿童性侵害教育的知识水平和实践能力。

最有利于未成年人原则视域下性侵未成年人证明标准的研究

最有利于未成年人原则逐步扩展至有关未成年人权益的一切活动,其要求涉未成年人刑事司法活动尊重未成年人的权利主体地位、坚持对未成年人的特殊、优先保护立场以及充分听取未成年人的意见。在处理性侵未成年人案件时仍继续严格采取“证据确实、充分”的案件证明标准,将可能违背最有利于未成年人原则的三项基本要求。探寻确立以“排除合理怀疑”为主的证明标准,有助于贯彻最有利于未成年人原则。立足于未成年人这一特殊群体,对“排除合理怀疑”证明标准的必要性、品格证据与传闻证据的引入以及未成年被害人陈述为核心构建证据体系等可操作性展开探讨,将促使此类案件从成人“我认为”视角到未成年权利人“我需要”视角的合理转向。

儿童色情制品单纯持有行为入罪化之检视

通过刑事立法规制儿童色情制品犯罪责任链“顶端”的制作行为和“中间”的传播行为,基本已获共识,但处于责任链“底端”的单纯持有行为的可罚性则存在疑问。主张单纯持有行为入罪的可罚性根据包括市场理论、引诱理论、倾向理论和隐私理论,通过对入罪理由的检视和反思,可以发现单纯持有行为与儿童性虐待之间的规范性因果关系模糊且不确定,将其入罪可能导致刑法面临“越界”风险和“过载”风险。通过行政处罚及相关配套措施规制单纯持有行为,可在坚守刑法谦抑性和最后手段性的同时,预防和阻止儿童性虐待行为的发生。

Sexual Abuse and Mental Disorders:The Dark Side of Violence

Rape and sexual violence occur in all social classes and societies.In most cases,the sexual offenders are known to the victim and the majority of rapes happen in intimate relationships.Children are particularly vulnerable to sexual abuse,in particular,the female sex.The sexual abuse of minors is defined as“any sexual activities that an adult carries on or with a person under the age of consent.”Literature evidence that the prevalence of any type of violence among women with disabilities varies between 26.0%and 90.0%,compared to nondisabled women,showing that people with disabilities have an increased risk of suffering physical and sexual violence.Children with intellectual disabilities(ID)show a high risk of sexual victimization.The World Health Organization presently defines mental retardation as“a significantly reduced ability to understand new or complex information and to learn and apply new skills(impaired intelligence).This results in a reduced ability to cope independently(impaired social functioning),and begins before adulthood,with a lasting effect on development.”The aim of this study is to investigate the correct identification of sexual abuse and severe mental retardation through the collaboration of a team of experts(forensic pathologist,psychiatrist,psychologist,gynecologist,pediatrician,and social worker).We present a case of a 12-year-old female child,who suffers from severe mental retardation and was the victim of rape by a 79-year-old man.The study shows the difficulties in discovering episodes of sexual abuse among children affected by ID by evidencing the importance of adequate analysis through a multidisciplinary approach.The work focuses on the need to improve knowledge about medical and forensic investigations through proper protocols,for early recognition and appropriate management of these complicated cases.

大中专学生童年期性虐待发生情况及影响因素

目的:了解大中专学生儿童期性虐待发生情况,探讨童年期性虐待经历的影响因素。方法:采用自填式问卷,于2004年12月对河北省1所大学和1所中专的528名学生就儿童期性虐待经历进行不记名问卷调查。结果:18.9%的学生报告16岁前有过下列1项或以上非情愿的性经历:言语性骚扰(9.1%)、侵犯者故意在其面前暴露性器官(5.3%)、被他人触摸身体隐私部位(10.0%)、被试图性交(2.8%)和被迫性交(2.1%)。多态Logistic回归分析,被调查学生儿童期性虐待经历与性别、是否为独生子女、16岁前居住地(农村与非农村)及父母亲文化程度等无明显关联。性侵犯者主要是熟悉的未成年人。结论:我国儿童期性虐待问题常见。应重视在学校和社区开展预防性虐待教育。

国外自我表露研究述评

自我表露是社会心理学、临床咨询和治疗的重要概念之一。主要介绍了自我表露的概念,静态的现象或动态的过程;描述性与评价性自我表露或正向与负向自我表露类型;自我表露的功能;社会渗透理论、压抑理论、沟通隐私管理理论等相关理论及主要测量方法。早期研究主要集中在主题、目标人、性别差异及自我表露与孤独感、亲密友谊的关系等方面,AIDS/HIV表露、儿童性侵犯表露、情绪表露和创伤表露等现实社会问题的表露成为近几年研究的焦点。扩展自我表露的概念,进一步深入研究青少年自我表露以及完善和发展自我表露的研究工具是未来的研究趋向。

小学生家长对儿童性虐待的认识

目的 :了解小学生家长有关预防儿童性虐待的知识、态度和与子女交流的情况。方法 :用自填式问卷 ,对某学校以班级为单位整群抽取 1-5年级 5个班的 2 71名小学生家长就其对儿童性虐待问题的认识及与孩子交流的情况进行不记名调查。结果 :在被调查的家长中 ,93 6%的家长赞成学校进行预防儿童性虐待的教育 ,但同时有 41 5 %的家长担心这种教育可能会导致儿童对“性”知道得太多。有半数左右的家长在儿童性虐待问题认识上尚存在明显差距 ,与孩子交流不够 ,只有 1 8%的家长给孩子看过有关预防儿童性虐待内容的书刊或音像制品。未成年时父母与其谈论过如何预防性虐待话题的家长其知识、态度及与自己子女交流的得分均明显好于父母没有与其谈论过如何预防性虐待话题的家长的得分。结论 :应重视对小学生进行预防儿童性虐待教育的研究 ,尽快出版相关书籍和音像制品 ,提高家长对儿童性虐待问题的意识。

某中学高中女生儿童期性虐待发生情况调查

目的 了解高中女生儿童期性虐待发生情况 ,为卫生及教育部门制定预防儿童期性虐待对策提供参考依据。方法 用自填式问卷 ,于 2 0 0 0年 1 2月对某高中学校 985名女生就有关儿童期受性虐待经历进行不记名的回顾性调查。结果 在被调查的 985名女生中 ,有 2 51人 (2 5 .5% ) 1 6岁前曾经历过非身体接触或身体接触的性虐待 ;其中 1 8人经历过被试图性交 ,5人经历过被强行性交。儿童期性虐待首次发生年龄 58%在 1 3岁及以前。性交行为的发生率在有儿童期性虐待经历的女生中 (2 .6 % )高于没有性虐待经历的女生 (0 .4% ) ,差异有显著性 (χ2 =6 .48,P =0 .0 1 1 )。在不同的父母文化程度间 ,儿童期性虐待发生率差异未发现有显著性。结论 儿童期性虐待问题在我国女童中可能并非少见 ,有必要对这一问题开展研究 。