|
Citation
|
Bourgou S, Meddouri SL, Ben Hamouda A, Ben Mustapha H, Charfi F, Hamza M, Belhadj A. Encephale (1974) 2020; ePub(ePub): ePub. |
|
Abstract
|
INTRODUCTION: Child sexual abuse is a major health problem that remains under-declared and under-reported worldwide. In this paper we have taken an interest in establishing the profile of the victims in a clinical population of children consulting for sexual abuse.
METHOD: We conducted a descriptive retrospective study in the child and teenager psychiatry department of the Mongi-Slim hospital (Tunis, Tunisia). We included all patients referred for treatment or medical expertise during the period from January 2013 to June 2019 and recorded sociodemographic data and clinical characteristics on pre-established charts from patient files.
RESULTS: The total number of consultants was 150 patients with 61,33 % of female subjects (n=92). The average age was 9,9 years old with extremes ranging from 2 to 18 years old. The assault was unique in 62,7 % and happened in a place known by the victim in 47,33 %. Sexual abuse with non-penetrating contact was the most frequent (48 %). The average age at which the first sexual abuse happened was 9 years old. In the vast majority of cases, the abuser was a male. Concerning the identity of the abuser, he was someone of the family in 37,3 % of the cases and in half of these cases, he was the father. In the other cases where the abuser wasn't a family member, the identity was known by the child and/or his family in 48,66 %. A psychiatric diagnosis was made in 58 % of the cases with a percentage of 52,1 % among girls and 60,3 % among boys. Main diagnoses were acute stress disorder in 10,6 %, post trauma stress disorder in 19,3 %, adjustment disorder in14,6 % and a major depressive disorder in 8 %.
CONCLUSION: Knowing the profile of victims of child sexual abuse and taking into consideration the social and psychiatric impact can help in adapting the means to intervene properly in order to take care of the victims and prevent such abuse.
Language: fr |