Beyond the individual: child sexual abuse and society

The Catholic Church response to its sexual abuse crisis and how the problem should be addressed parallels the “rotten apple” assertions of police deviance. The rotten apple theory, however, does not fully explain police deviance, as there are often also structural explanations. This article employs Kappeler, Sluder, and Alpert's (1998) police deviance framework to characterize and understand the Catholic Church sex abuse scandal, drawing specific comparisons to the intentional use of excessive force by police. Though the analogy has limitations, there are similarities at both the individual and organizational levels, particularly because the Church has implemented accountability mechanisms similar to the police. The article concludes with a discussion of lessons the Church can learn from the police organization as they seek to prevent, control, and effectively respond to sexual abuse of children by their clergy.

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School Nurses Avoid Addressing Child Sexual Abuse

The Journal of School Nursing ◽

10.1177/1059840516633729 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 33 (2) ◽

pp. 133-142 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Lisbet Engh Kraft ◽

GullBritt Rahm ◽

Ulla-Britt Eriksson

Keyword(s):

Sexual Abuse ◽

Child Sexual Abuse ◽

Sexually Abused ◽

Secondary Analysis ◽

Public Health Problem ◽

School Nurses ◽

Global Public Health ◽

Abused Children ◽

Group Interviews ◽

The Individual

Child sexual abuse (CSA) is a global public health problem with major consequences for the individual child and society. An earlier Swedish study showed that the school nurses did not initially talk about nor mention CSA as one form of child abuse. For the child to receive adequate support, the disclosure is a precondition and is dependent on an available person prepared to listen. The aim of the study was to explore the ability of the school nurses to detect and support sexually abused children. It is a secondary analysis of focus group interviews with school nurses. Thematic analysis was performed. Results showed that the school nurses avoided addressing CSA due to arousal of strong emotions, ambivalence, and a complicated disclosure process. In order to detect CSA and support abused children, attentiveness of sexual abuse as a possible cause of physical and mental ill-health is crucial.

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Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation: Guest Editor’s Introduction

International Journal for Crime Justice and Social Democracy ◽

10.5204/ijcjsd.v4i2.240 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 4 (2) ◽

pp. 1-3

Author(s):

Michael Salter

Keyword(s):

Sexual Abuse ◽

Child Sexual Abuse ◽

Extended Family ◽

Sexual Exploitation ◽

Royal Commission ◽

Special Issue ◽

Power Structures ◽

Media Reports ◽

Use Of The Internet ◽

The Individual

One of the most unnerving aspects of child sexual abuse is that it is constantly manifesting in unexpected ways. The current Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse has collected testimony of abuse in churches, schools, out-of-home care, hospitals and religious communities, demonstrating the breadth of institutional arrangements whose structures and cultures have facilitated child sexual abuse. Cases of serious and prolonged sexual abuse in family contexts have been excluded from the terms of reference of the Royal Commission but nonetheless continue to surface in media reports. In 2013, twelve children were permanently removed from an extended family living in rural NSW in what has been described as one of the worst cases of child abuse in Australia, involving intergenerational incest going back at least three generations (Auebach 2014). Another recent high-profile case involved the use of the Internet to facilitate the sexual exploitation of an adopted child by his parents in Queensland (Ralston 2013). These cases challenge the received wisdom that child sexual abuse is characterised by the victimisation of one child by one opportunistic offender. Such incidents suggest instead that child sexual abuse takes varied and systemic forms, and can operate to perpetuate and entrench toxic cultures and power structures. This special issue on Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation is a timely contribution to ongoing efforts to understand the multiplicity of child sexual abuse. It is an interdisciplinary collection of insights drawn from criminology, sociology, psychiatry, psychology and psychoanalysis, and includes papers from academic researchers alongside academic practitioners whose writing is grounded in their work with affected individuals and communities. A key aim of the special issue is to contextualise the diversity of child sexual abuse socially, politically and historically, recognising the dynamic and iterative relationships between sexual abuse and the contexts in which it takes place. The contributions to this special issue examine how the diversity and dynamics of abuse unfold at the individual, community and social level, and across time. The issue is focused on emerging or under-recognised forms of child sexual abuse, such as organised abuse and sexual exploitation, which illustrate recent shifts in the knowledge base and require new and innovative criminological thinking.Download the PDF file from this page to find out more about this special edition.

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Prevalence of Child Sexual Violence in Brazil in the Period 2010-2018: an Ecological Study

Journal of Health Sciences ◽

10.17921/2447-8938.2021v23n4p334-338 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 23 (4) ◽

pp. 334-338

Author(s):

Amanda Queiroz Lemos ◽

Stephanie de Carvalho Costa ◽

Nicolle Gomes Nascimento ◽

Glauber Silva Cristo ◽

Francinni Correia Constante ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Sexual Abuse ◽

Child Sexual Abuse ◽

Sexual Violence ◽

Childhood Abuse ◽

Ecological Study ◽

Sexual Relationships ◽

The North ◽

Psychopathological Disorders ◽

The Individual ◽

North And South

AbstractViolence is characterized as a sociocultural phenomenon that can affect the individual physically, psychosocially and cognitively. Child sexual abuse is one of the biggest public health problems, however, its prevalence is still undefined. It is also the cause of several psychopathological disorders and future difficulties in the context of the victim's interpersonal and sexual relationships. To describe the prevalence of child sexual abuse in Brazil in the of period 2010 – 2018. Descriptive ecological study, whose data were obtained by consulting the SINAN database, made available by DATASUS. Where cases of child sexual violence between 0 and 14 years old were selected from 2010 to 2018. A steady progression was evidenced in all regions and in almost every year, in cases of sexual violence. The North and South regions have the highest prevalence. Cases were more frequent in females (82.7%), between 10 and 14 years old (49%), with the main aggressors being parents (13.8%) and stepfathers (12.9%). The prevalence of child sexual violence is higher among children aged 10 to 14 years, female and the cases are more concentrated in the north region. Keywords: Childhood Abuse, Sexual. Epidemiology. Child. Resumo A violência é caracterizada como um fenômeno sociocultural que pode afetar o indivíduo em âmbito físico, psicossocial e cognitivo. O abuso sexual infantil é um dos maiores problemas de saúde pública, porém, sua prevalência ainda é indefinida. Sendo também causador de diversos transtornos psicopatológicos e dificuldades futuras em âmbito de relações interpessoais e sexuais da vítima. Portanto o objetivo do presente estudo é descrever a prevalência do abuso sexual infantil no Brasil no período de 2010 - 2018. Trata-se de um estudo ecológico descritivo, cujos dados foram obtidos por meio de consulta à base de dados SINAN, disponibilizados pelo DATASUS. Onde foram selecionados os casos de violência sexual infantil, de 0 a 14 anos registrada no período de 2010 a 2018. Foi evidenciado uma progressão contínua em todas as regiões e em quase todos os anos, nos casos de violência sexual. As Regiões Norte e Sul apresentam maior prevalência. Os casos eram mais frequentes no sexo feminino (82,7%), entre 10 e 14 anos (49%), sendo os principais agressores pais (13,8%) e padrastos (12,9%). Pode-se concluir que a prevalência de violência sexual infantil é maior entre crianças de 10 a 14 anos, do sexo feminino e os casos estão mais concentrados na região Norte. Palavras-chave: Abuso Sexual na Infância. Epidemiologia. Criança.

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Deterrence of Online Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation

Policing A Journal of Policy and Practice ◽

10.1093/police/pay028 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 13 (3) ◽

pp. 345-362 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Ethel Quayle ◽

Nikolaos Koukopoulos

Keyword(s):

Sexual Abuse ◽

Child Sexual Abuse ◽

Digital Media ◽

Significant Risk ◽

Significant Risk Factor ◽

Public Health Approach ◽

Online Environment ◽

Starting Point ◽

Online Abuse ◽

The Individual

Abstract ‘Cyberspace’ has added a dimension to the ecology of the child and should be a starting point for practitioners (including police) to think about digital media in the context of child sexual abuse. While there is no evidence to suggest that online abuse and exploitation is a more serious offence than crimes occurring offline, the behaviours enabled by social media may present a significant risk factor for some children. This article gives a brief overview of the phenomena and prevalence of online child sexual abuse and exploitation and the role that the Internet may play. This is considered in relation to deterrence, prevention and management of these crimes, and further develops a public health approach to online child abuse and exploitation. Finally, the article critically considers emerging evidence to support this interaction between the individual and the online environment.

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PERITRAUMATIC FACTORS AND POSTTRAUMATIC SYMPTOMS IN CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE CASES

Visuomenės sveikata ◽

10.5200/sm-hs.2017.063 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 27 (4) ◽

pp. 64-68

Author(s):

Raitis Eglītis ◽

Dace Landmane

Keyword(s):

Sexual Abuse ◽

Child Sexual Abuse ◽

Age At Onset ◽

Self Report ◽

Psychological Outcome ◽

Legal Professionals ◽

Posttraumatic Symptoms ◽

Type Of Abuse ◽

The Individual ◽

Demographical Data

Health and legal professionals are aware of adverse effects child sexual abuse (CSA) can have on child development as well as the individual differences in severity of psychological outcomes. The objective of this pilot study was to identify possible explanations that could account for the CSA psychological outcome variability and give insights for further research. A sample of 25 Russian speaking girls by the decision of the person directing the proceedings were recognized as CSA victims and were assigned to psychological or complex psychiatric and psychological expert examination. During examination demographical data was collected and several self-report measures regarding peritraumatic and posttraumatic experiences were applied. Correlation analysis revealed that the only demographical characteristic associated with posttraumatic symptoms (familiarity with abuser, type of abuse, age at onset of abuse, time after last episode) was age at onset of abuse. Peritraumatic measures overall were associated with all of the posttraumatic symptoms and stepwise regression analysis showed that age at onset of abuse and peritraumatic experiences explained nearly 50% of variation of several posttraumatic symptoms. Further research directions are discussed.

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The moral duty to reduce the risk of child sexual abuse

Human Affairs ◽

10.1515/humaff-2019-0015 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 29 (2) ◽

pp. 188-198

Author(s):

Sergei Levin

Keyword(s):

Sexual Abuse ◽

Child Sexual Abuse ◽

Preventive Measures ◽

Moral Duty ◽

Individual Risk ◽

Health Issues ◽

Sex Abuse ◽

Moral Duties ◽

Child Sex Abuse ◽

The Individual

Abstract Child sexual abuse and paedophilia are ethically loaded public health issues. This paper looks at whether there are any specific moral duties related to paedophilia. I argue that the moral duty not to commit child sex abuse is universal and that the duty to reduce the individual risk of child sex abuse is specific to paedophiles. A paedophile is a person who is sexually attracted to children. Some paedophiles commit child sex abuse offences, but others are able to refrain from doing so and have the rational capacity to take adequate preventive measures. The risk of committing child sex abuse and the ability to reduce that risk are a moral duty pertaining specifically to paedophiles. I further argue that society has a moral duty to help paedophiles to fulfil that duty. Unfortunately, societies rarely provide such opportunities and hence fail in their moral duty towards paedophiles and children.

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Malpractice & Negligence: State Supreme Courts Limit Therapists’ Duties to Third Parties

The Journal of Law Medicine & Ethics ◽

10.1017/s1073110500012985 ◽

1999 ◽

Vol 27 (2) ◽

pp. 204-205

Author(s):

Megan Cleary

Keyword(s):

Sexual Abuse ◽

Child Sexual Abuse ◽

Supreme Court ◽

New Hampshire ◽

Third Parties ◽

State Supreme Courts ◽

Recovered Memories ◽

Supreme Courts ◽

Repressed Memory ◽

University Of Colorado

In recent years, the law in the area of recovered memories in child sexual abuse cases has developed rapidly. See J.K. Murray, “Repression, Memory & Suggestibility: A Call for Limitations on the Admissibility of Repressed Memory Testimony in Abuse Trials,” University of Colorado Law Review, 66 (1995): 477-522, at 479. Three cases have defined the scope of liability to third parties. The cases, decided within six months of each other, all involved lawsuits by third parties against therapists, based on treatment in which the patients recovered memories of sexual abuse. The New Hampshire Supreme Court, in Hungerford v. Jones, 722 A.2d 478 (N.H. 1998), allowed such a claim to survive, while the supreme courts in Iowa, in J.A.H. v. Wadle & Associates, 589 N.W.2d 256 (Iowa 1999), and California, in Eear v. Sills, 82 Cal. Rptr. 281 (1991), rejected lawsuits brought by nonpatients for professional liability.

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