Citation

McClellan J, McCurry C, Ronnei M, Adams J, Storck M, Eisner A, Smith C. J. Am. Acad. Child Adolesc. Psychiatry 1997; 36(7): 959-965.

Affiliation

Department of Psychiatry, University of Washington, Seattle 98195, USA. drjack@u.washington.edu

Copyright

(Copyright © 1997, American Academy of Child Adolescent Psychiatry, Publisher Lippincott Williams and Wilkins)

DOI

10.1097/00004583-199707000-00018

PMID

9204674

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To examine gender differences in sexual abuse histories and in the development of inappropriate sexual behaviors in a sample of seriously mentally Ill youths. METHOD: A retrospective chart review was completed for all patients from 1987 through 1992 at a tertiary care public sector psychiatric hospital for youths (N = 499). Subjects were categorized by gender, sexual abuse status, and whether they had sexually reactive or victimizing behaviors. RESULTS: Girls were more likely to have been sexually abused, and their abuse histories were more severe. Sexual behavior problems in girls were almost exclusively associated with sexual abuse, whereas 29% of boys with victimizing behaviors had no sexual abuse history. Among sexually abused youths, boys were more likely to display victimizing behaviors, whereas both genders displayed similar rates of sexually reactive behaviors. Of the 19 girls who displayed victimizing behaviors, 95% were chronically sexually abused and one third had also received a major injury due to physical abuse. CONCLUSIONS: Boys appear to have a lower threshold of abuse exposure required to develop sexually inappropriate behaviors and are significantly more likely to display victimizing behaviors. Conversely, victimizing behaviors in girls may require a catastrophic maltreatment history. These gender differences should be incorporated into treatment interventions directed at sexual abuse victims.

Language: en