Citation

Richter LM, Mathews S, Nonterah E, Masilela L. Child Abuse Negl. 2018; 84: 1-10.

Affiliation

DST-NRF Centre of Excellence in Human Development, First Floor East Wing, School of Public Health, Education Campus, York Road, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2193, South Africa.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2018, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.chiabu.2018.07.016

PMID

30036688

Abstract

Childhood sexual abuse of boys was examined in a longitudinal cohort in South Africa, with data on abuse collected at six age points between 11 and 18 years. Potential personal and social vulnerability of male sexual abuse victims was explored and mental health outcomes of sexually abused boys were examined at age 22-23 years. Reports of all sexual activity - touching, oral and penetrative sex - increased with age and sexual coercion decreased with age. Almost all sexual activity at 11 years of age was coerced, with the highest rates of coercion occurring between 13 and14 years of age; 45% of reports of coerced touching were reported at age 14, 41 percent of coerced oral sex at age 13, and 31% of coerced penetrative sex at age 14. Sexual coercion was perpetrated most frequently by similar aged peers, and although gender of the assailant was less often reported, it can be presumed that perpetration is by males. Boys who experienced childhood sexual abuse tended to be smaller (shorter) and from poorer families. No relationships to measured childhood intelligence, pubertal stage, marital status of mother or presence of the father were found. There was no significant association between reports of childhood sexual abuse and mental health in adulthood and when personal and social vulnerabilities were taken into account.

Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Language: en

Keywords

Child abuse; Longitudinal; Males; Mental health; South Africa