Silencing by design: Lessons learned about child sexual abuse from a university sexual assault survey

Background: University students have been recognized as particularly being vulnerable to sexual victimization. Purpose: With little research to date, and acknowledgement for the need of a better understanding of sexual violence, our study analysed the CQUniversity Sexual Assault Survey’s qualitative responses. An open-ended qualitative question allowed students to provide information anonymously. Methods: A total of 109 participants contributed responses with 17 respondents commenting on the fact that the survey omitted to ask about child sexual abuse prior to the cut-off age of 12 years. Results: University students revealed unexpected disclosures of prepubescent child sexual abuse victimization and ongoing sexual victimization into adulthood. Furthermore, students’ comments indicated negative impacts including distress, mental health and substance use problems, distrust, and interpersonal difficulties. Strong feelings about ‘silencing’ prepubescent child sexual abuse in university surveys were expressed with a request that questions about child sexual abuse prior to the age of 12 years be included. Conclusion: Our study found that child sexual abuse victimization is important to students. Recommendations indicate the need for future research about sexual violence among university students without age restrictions to gain a better understanding about the impact of trauma including revictimization experiences.

Foreign body in vagina: a cause of persistent vaginal discharge in a prepubescent child

Vaginal discharge in prepubertal children is mainly due to hypoestrogenic state of vaginal mucosa making it thin and alkaline leading to mucosal invasion by pathogen. In paediatric case persistent foul smelling, blood stained discharge not responding to medical therapy should arouse suspicion of foreign body. Authors report an interesting case of 2 years old child who presented with persistent vaginal discharge and was found to have a retained foreign body in the vaginaneonatal resuscitation in preeclampsia. Acute fetal distress in labour or neonatal nursery admission could not be predicted.

Pedophilic Disorder

This chapter examines pedophilic disorder, which is defined as a condition lasting at least 6 months consisting of recurrent, intense sexual arousing fantasies, sexual urges, or behaviors involving sexual activity with a prepubescent child or children (generally aged 13 years or younger) or simply as a sexual preference for boys or girls or both, usually of prepubertal or early pubertal age. The Fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders and the International Classification of Diseases diagnostic criteria for pedophilia are presented and discussed in this chapter. Reporting requirements and treatments are also discussed. Reasons for reconceptualizing the prognosis of this disorder are presented. The chapter also presents a review of the recent literature on these topics.

Impact of Enhanced Physical Education on Muscle Strength of the Prepubescent Child

The influence upon muscle strength of 1 h/day of required physical education was tested in 546 prepubescent children over a 5-year period. Experimental students began the program in Grade 1, with immediately preceding and succeeding classes serving as controls. Annual measurements showed a linear increase of limb circumferences with stature (H), but strength increased more rapidly than H2. Strength data showed gender effects (M > F) at all ages and environmental effects (rural > urban) in older children (10–12 years). Experimental students were stronger in 19 of 42 comparisons. Girths were greater in girls (7 of 18 comparisons) and in the rural environment (4 of 18 comparisons), but were unaffected by the experimental intervention. Bone diameters were greater in the boys (16 of 18 comparisons) and in the urban environment (2 of IS comparisons). Daily required physical education leads to small increases of isometric strength without significant increments of limb dimensions.

Impact of Enhanced Physical Education in the Prepubescent Child: Trois Rivières Revisited

The influence of 1 hour per day of required physical education upon aerobic fitness was tested in 546 prepubescent children recruited from an urban and a rural school in Québec. Two cohorts of experimental students began the enhanced program in Grade 1, with immediately preceding and succeeding classes as controls. V̇O2 peak (treadmill) and PWC170 were measured each year within 2 weeks of each child’s birthday. The data showed significant effects of sex (M>F) and environment (urban>rural). Experimental students showed a significant advantage of V̇O2 peak from 8 to 11 years (M>F; urban>rural). Many students reached less than a centrally limited V̇O2max, although the quality of peak effort was somewhat better in experimental than in control students. PWC170 values confirmed a training response in the boys but not in the girls. The data illustrate some of the problems of repeated testing of young children, but nevertheless support the value of training in the prepubescent years.