Child Sexual Assault Nurse Examinations and Prosecutorial Decisions to Accept or Reject Cases of Child Sexual Abuse

2021 ◽  
Vol Publish Ahead of Print ◽  
Author(s):  
Tammy E. Bracewell ◽  
Lynn M. Greenwood
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Abuse ◽  
Child Sexual Abuse ◽  
Sexual Assault ◽  
Child Sexual Assault

Complaints of Child Sexual Abuse: Too Easy to Make or Too Difficult to Prove?

2001 ◽  
Vol 34 (2) ◽  
pp. 149-168 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anne Cossins
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Abuse ◽  
Social Context ◽  
Child Sexual Abuse ◽  
Sexual Assault ◽  
Female Child ◽  
Law Reform ◽  
Historical Legacy ◽  
Child Sexual Assault ◽  
The Social ◽  
Sex Offences

This article analyses the social context in which the corroboration warning became entrenched in the child sexual assault trial, its historical legacy in terms of present day practice and the theoretical implications of this history and practice in terms of the sexed and gendered constructions of the female child complainant. In light of this analysis, the article discusses the implications for law reform of the child sexual assault trial, in particular the need to address the unique problems associated with prosecuting child sex offences.

Child Sexual Abuse and Medical Expertise in Nineteenth-Century France

2019 ◽  
Vol 42 (3) ◽  
pp. 391-421
Author(s):  
E. Claire Cage
Keyword(s):  
Nineteenth Century ◽  
Sexual Abuse ◽  
Child Sexual Abuse ◽  
Sexual Assault ◽  
Working Class ◽  
Moral Judgments ◽  
Medical Expertise ◽  
Child Sexual Assault ◽  
Nineteenth Century France ◽  
Negative Findings

Abstract Child sexual abuse was a prevalent problem that appeared before the courts with dramatically increasing frequency in nineteenth-century France. During this period medical experts played a much more influential role in the courts; however, those summoned to intervene in child sexual assault cases not only bolstered but also undermined efforts to bring offenders to justice. Many doctors who could not detect physical traces of sexual abuse concluded that the assault had not occurred and that the child's accusation was false. Furthermore, doctors routinely cast moral judgments on those identified as victims of sexual abuse. The understandings of childhood innocence that engendered new efforts to combat child sexual abuse were called into question by the simultaneous rise of medicolegal experts, whose frequent negative findings led many to discount accusations of abuse and to maintain that children, particularly girls and working-class children, were not as innocent as they seemed. Dans la France du dix-neuvième siècle, l'abus sexuel des enfants était un problème courant qui a de plus en plus préoccupé les tribunaux, où les experts médicaux jouaient un rôle grandissant. Cependant, les médecins appelés à intervenir dans les cas d'agression sexuelle d'enfants ont non seulement soutenu mais ont aussi miné les efforts de punir les coupables. De nombreux médecins qui ne pouvaient pas discerner de traces physiques d'abus sexuel ont conclu que l'agression sexuelle n'avait jamais eu lieu et que l'accusation de l'enfant n'était pas fondée. En outre, les médecins portaient régulièrement des jugements moraux sur les enfants identifiés comme victimes. L'idée de l'innocence de l'enfance, qui a suscité de nouveaux efforts pour lutter contre l'abus sexuel, a été remise en question par le respect croissant pour l'expertise médico-légale. Les conclusions souvent négatives des experts ont encouragé le public à ignorer les accusations d'abus et à maintenir que les enfants, en particulier les filles et les enfants de la classe ouvrière, n'étaient pas aussi innocents qu'ils en avaient l'air.

Cumulative trauma: The impact of child sexual abuse, adult sexual assault, and spouse abuse

1996 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 25-35 ◽  
Author(s):  
Victoria M. Follette ◽  
Melissa A. Polusny ◽  
Anne E. Bechtle ◽  
Amy E. Naugle
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Abuse ◽  
Child Sexual Abuse ◽  
Sexual Assault ◽  
Spouse Abuse ◽  
Cumulative Trauma ◽  
Adult Sexual Assault ◽  
The Impact

“I Still Feel Like I Am Not Normal”: A Review of the Role of Stigma and Stigmatization Among Female Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse, Sexual Assault, and Intimate Partner Violence

2016 ◽  
Vol 19 (5) ◽  
pp. 512-527 ◽  
Author(s):  
Angie C. Kennedy ◽  
Kristen A. Prock
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Abuse ◽  
Intimate Partner Violence ◽  
Child Sexual Abuse ◽  
Sexual Assault ◽  
Partner Violence ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Intimate Partner ◽  
Social Contexts ◽  
Female Survivors ◽  
Self Blame

Child sexual abuse (CSA), sexual assault (SA), and intimate partner violence (IPV) occur within social contexts that shape how survivors judge themselves and are evaluated by others. Because these are gendered sexual and intimate crimes that violate social norms about what is appropriate and acceptable, survivors may experience stigma that includes victim-blaming messages from the broader society as well as specific stigmatizing reactions from others in response to disclosure; this stigmatization can be internalized among survivors as self-blame, shame, and anticipatory stigma. Stigma and stigmatization play an important role in shaping survivors’ thoughts, feelings, and behaviors as they recover; their risk of revictimization; and their help-seeking and attainment process. In this review, we synthesize recent CSA, SA, and IPV research ( N = 123) that examines female survivors’ self-blame, shame, internalized stigma, and anticipatory stigma as well as negative social reactions in response to survivors’ disclosure. We highlight critical findings as well as implications for research, practice, and policy, and we note gaps in our current knowledge.

Research on the Sexual Victimization of Women

1992 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 141-158 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patricia A. Frazier ◽  
B. Beth Cohen
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Sexual Abuse ◽  
Child Sexual Abuse ◽  
Sexual Assault ◽  
Sexual Harassment ◽  
Health Effects ◽  
Counselor Training ◽  
Counseling Center ◽  
Research Areas ◽  
Mental Health Effects

The mental health effects of victimization of women comprise one of five priority research areas identified by the National Institute of Mental Health. However, little attention has been paid to this issue in counseling research. In this article, we review research on the prevalence and effects of three types of victimization of women: child sexual abuse, sexual assault, and sexual harassment. This research suggests that victimization is quite common among women and has serious detrimental effects on their mental health. We also present data indicating that victimization experiences are common among female counseling center clients. Several recommendations for counselor training in the area of victimization are offered.

Development of a Measure of Unwanted Sexual Contact in Childhood, for Use in Community Mental Health Surveys

1990 ◽  
Vol 66 (2) ◽  
pp. 401-402 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher Bagley
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Sexual Abuse ◽  
Child Sexual Abuse ◽  
Sexual Assault ◽  
Community Mental Health ◽  
Health Surveys ◽  
Depression Scale ◽  
Sexual Contact ◽  
Mental Health Survey ◽  
Unwanted Sexual Contact

Development of a measure of child sexual abuse, operationalized as unwanted sexual contact before age 17, is described. In a community mental health survey of 750 women aged 18 to 27 yr., 32% recalled unwanted sexual contact. 7% experienced prolonged sexual assault before age 17 and had significantly higher scores as adults on the CESD Depression scale.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document