Sexual abuse and psychopathology

With the recognition that sexual exploitation of children is far more common than previously thought, a substantial research effort has aimed to describe its acute and long-term effects (Kluft 1990). Most studies have been quantitative and have pursued one of two strategies: Children identified by referral from child protective services as physically victimized are concurrently assessed for psychiatric sequelae; alternatively, adults with or without various psychiatric syndromes are retrospectively asked to recall the presence or absence of traumatic childhood experiences. Descriptive in focus, the results of these research efforts have broadened our understanding of the typical constellation of symptoms experienced by childhood incest victims and have delineated the adult psychiatric diagnostic categories most associated with a history of childhood trauma.