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.

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.

Analysis of Medicolegal Examination in Alleged Sexual Abuse Presented to a Tertiary Care Hospital in Sri Lanka

Forensic experts are often expected to provide an opinion on alleged physical or sexual contact between individuals following medicolegal examination of a case of sexual abuse(SA).There are many factors influencing the opinion.A retrospective descriptive study was performed to study the factors influencing the medicolegal opinion in SA forensic examination using medical and medicolegal records of alleged SA victims to extract data.Records of 441 victims were studied.A majority,180(40%),presented due to the guardian’s concerns-302(68%)presented for medicolegal examination 72 h after the incident.Recent injuries were observed in only 15%of the victims.Genital injuries were observed in 74%of the victims brought due to concerns of the guardians,with 12 victims having recent injuries.Of the 172 victims who complained of vaginal intercourse,21%had recent injuries.A firm positive medicolegal opinion could be given in 63%of all cases.In 124 individuals,a firm positive or negative opinion could not be given.A majority(n=90,73%)of these individuals did not have any injuries,while 23%had healed injuries.According to the nature of the complaint,in a significant number of victims(53%),no scientific evidence was present to make a firm opinion.The nature of the sexual act and the absence of injuries influence the medicolegal opinion on SA,making it a challenging task for forensic experts.

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.

Sensory information in children’s statements of sexual abuse

The credibility of children’s statements of sexual abuse is a controversial issue in forensic psychiatry and psychology.Neurobiological and clinical laboratory studies show that real memories contain more information regarding sensory details than false memories.The goal of the present field study was to evaluate whether sensory information was present in child-ren’s statements of sexual abuse,and whether this information was more often present in credible statements compared with non-credible statements.Sensory details were extracted from a sample of 96 statements of sexual abuse from children;62 statements were consi-dered credible and 34 statements were considered non-credible.This study showed that sensory information was present in 79% of children’s reports of child sexual abuse.Sensory information was significantly more often present in statements considered credible com-pared with non-credible statements(85.5%,P<0.001),but there were large variations in the sense involved.Logistic regression analysis showed that the presence of at least one sensory detail may be a good predictor of credibility(odds ratio,OR=23.484,P<0.05).It seems appropriate to include sensory details when assessing the credibility of children’s statements of child sexual abuse,but it has not yet been demonstrated that use of such details signifi-cantly improves the validity of credibility assessments.

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.

Analysis of Childhood Sexual Abuse among 1099 University Students in Shanghai

Objective To understand the situations of childhood sexual abuse （CSA） and to examine associations of CSA with demographic factors and with later risk behaviors among university students in Shanghai, China. Methods A two-stage random sampling method was adopted to conduct the survey anomalously using electronic questionnaire and computer-assisted-structured-interview method. Results About 15.1% （10.2% among male, 18.2% among female） university students reported having had experienced CSA before age 14, 1.2% university students reported having had experienced abuse of attempted vaginal or anal intercourse and 0.8% university students experienced abuse of forced vaginal or anal intercourse. The perpetrators were mainly strangers （accounting for 40.3%） and classmates or friends of the victims （23.9%）. Family members or relatives accounted for 11.3% of the perpetrators. Female students who came from cities （21.9%） reported more CSA experiences than those who came from townships （10.1%） or rural areas （8.2%）. Association between CSA experiences of victims and their parents education levels was not found. Those respondents who had ever experienced CSA before age 14 had reported more later risk behaviors than those who had not experienced CSA： males with CSA reported more experiences of ever fighting and more often involved in forced sexual intercourse than those without CSA, while females with CSA reported more experiences of smoking, running away from home, ever fighting, watching pornography and more unmarried sexual intercourse than those without CSA. Conclusion CSA is not rare among university students and associated with later risk sexual behaviors. It is important and urgent to pay attention to the issue of CSA and take prevention measures to protect children.

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.

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.

Psychosocial determinants of irritable bowel syndrome

From a pure motor disorder of the bowel,in the past few years,irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) has become a multifactorial disease that implies visceral hypersensitivity,alterations at the level of nervous and humoral communications between the enteric nervous system and the central nervous system,alteration of the gut microflora,an increased intestinal permeability and minimum intestinal inflammation.Psychological and social factors can interfere with the communication between the central and enteric nervous systems,and there is proof that they are involved in the onset of IBS and influence the response to treatment and outcome.There is evidence that abuse history and stressful life events are involved in the onset of functional gastrointestinal disorders.In order to explain clustering of IBS in families,genetic factors and social learning mechanisms have been proposed.The psychological features,such as anxiety,depression as well as the comorbid psychiatric disorders,health beliefs and coping of patients with IBS are discussed in relation to the symptoms and outcome.

Irritable bowel syndrome and chronic pelvic pain: A singular or two different clinical syndrome?

Irritable bowel syndrome （IBS） and chronic pelvic pain （CPP） are both somatoform disorders with a high prevalence within the population in general. The objective was to compare both entities, to find the differences and the similarities related to epidemiology and psychosocial aspects like stressful life events, physical and sexual abuse, illness behaviour and comorbidity. The technical literature was reviewed systematically from 1971 to 2006 and compared. According to literature, IBS and CPP seem to be one rather than two different entities with the same Iocalisation of pain. Both syndromes also are similar concerning prevalence, the coexistence of mental and somatoform disorders, the common history of sexual and physical abuse in the past and their health care utilization. It could be shown that there were many similarities between IBS and CPP. Nevertheless both are traded as different clinical pictures as far. Therefore it seems to be reasonable and necessary to generate a common diagnosis algorithm and to bring gynaecologists and gastroenterologists into dialogue.

Childhood Adversity Phenotypes and Risky Health Behaviors among Chinese Adolescents: Extending the Concept of Adversity

ObjectiveTo present an approach to phenotyping ACEs and explore the association between ACEs and adolescent health risky behaviors based on the social context of China.Methods Totally,5,726 adolescents aged 12-18 years were investigated about their ACEs in the family,peer,school,and personal domains and the occurrence of six types of risky health behaviors(i.e.,smoking,drinking,sexual intercourse,self-harm,and suicidal ideation and attempts).Latent class analysis(LCA)was used to explore the ACE patterns.Results Six latent classes of ACEs were identified,including low adversity,school adversity,school adversity and peer victimization,peer victimization,maltreatment and peer victimization,and high adversity,and associated with risky health behaviors in adolescents.Being physically punished by a teacher,experiencing sexual abuse,and experiencing family trauma most strongly differentiated from the six AcE classes and were correlated with an increased risk for risky adolescent health behaviors.ConclusionThis study supports a positive association between ACEs and risky adolescent health behaviors.Peer victimization,school adversity and associated contexts need to be considered in future ACEstudies.

The Expected Places of Religion and Communities in Film

In the 2014 movie, Spotlight, religion, represented by the Catholic Church, has an expected place for the community--the City of Boston, Massachusetts. And, the community of Boston, represented by the institution of a free press, has a corresponding expectation of the Church. In this paper, I explore these expectations as they are identified in the Oscar winning film, Spotlight.

Sex Slavery in India： Unpacking the Stories of Trafficking Victims

While there is no consensus on the number of domestic sex trafficking victims in India, the phenomenon is estimated to be widespread and the evidence of its impact on victims is devastating. This paper explored the narratives of 10 sex trafficked women from a major non-government organization in New Delhi. Qualitative methodology was adopted and data were collected through open-ended unstructured interviews. The victimological paradigm including the Lifestyle Risk Model （LRM） by Van der Hoven and Maree provided the framework to discuss the key issues related to sex trafficking. Psychological experiences such as being abused by husbands, and in some cases, victims＇ own families; social conditions such as poverty and education; cultural practices such as vulnerability of women and marginalization; and lifestyle risk factors were observed throughout the stories of the victims. Furthermore, shame was found to be the core emotion in the stigmatization process. Limitations and future directions are also discussed.