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Somatic symptoms in sexually abused children
1Section of Psychology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota 55905, USA.
Journal of Pediatric Psychology
|October 1, 1995
Summary
Sexual abuse in children is linked to more physical symptoms. Specific factors like the force and number of perpetrators significantly increase these somatic complaints, especially in younger girls and older boys.
Area of Science:
- Child Psychology
- Pediatric Health
- Trauma Studies
Background:
- Childhood sexual abuse is a significant public health concern.
- Somatic symptoms are common but under-researched manifestations in abused children.
- Understanding the relationship between abuse characteristics and symptomology is crucial for intervention.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between childhood sexual abuse and somatic symptoms.
- To identify specific demographic and abuse-related factors influencing somatic complaints.
- To differentiate symptom presentation based on age and sex.
Main Methods:
- Compared a nonabused sample (n=847) with a sexually abused sample (n=252) of children aged 3-12 years.
- Assessed somatic symptoms using parent-reported data, including the Child Behavior Checklist.
- Employed ANCOVA, controlling for covariates like family income, maternal education, age, and sex.
Main Results:
- Abused girls aged 3-6 and abused boys aged 7-12 reported the highest number of somatic symptoms.
- The force and number of perpetrators were directly associated with an increased number of somatic symptoms.
- Sexual abuse correlated with a greater report of subjective somatic complaints in some children.
Conclusions:
- Childhood sexual abuse is associated with increased somatic symptom reporting.
- Age, sex, and specific abuse characteristics (force, number of perpetrators) are important factors.
- Findings highlight the need for comprehensive assessment of somatic complaints in sexually abused children.