Psychological symptoms in sexually abused girls

Child Abuse Negl. 1988;12(4):571-7. doi: 10.1016/0145-2134(88)90074-9.

Abstract

This study examined psychological symptoms exhibited by children who had recently been sexually abused. Twenty-four girls aged 6 to 12 years old were evaluated within six months of being abused using a variety of standardized child psychiatric instruments. Results showed a marked discrepancy between child and parent reports of symptoms. The abused children did not exhibit significant depressive, anxiety, or low self-esteem symptoms by self-report; however, their parents rated them as having significantly more behavioral problems than a normative sample but as somewhat less pathological than a clinical sample. The implications of these findings in relation to our current understanding of the psychological problems manifested by sexually abused children and for future research are discussed.

MeSH terms

  • Adaptation, Psychological*
  • Affective Symptoms / psychology*
  • Child
  • Child Abuse, Sexual / psychology*
  • Child Behavior Disorders / psychology
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Psychological Tests
  • Rape
  • Self Concept