Citation

Hornor G. J. Pediatr. Health Care 2024; 38(3): 438-449.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2024, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.pedhc.2023.09.008

PMID

38697699

Abstract

Child sexual abuse is a problem of epidemic proportions. The official number of sexual abuse victims in the United States for 2020 was 58,092 (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2023). However, this number represents only the tip of the iceberg: cases of sexual abuse reported to child protective services, investigated, and substantiated. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 2022) states that 1 in 4 girls and 1 in 13 boys living in the United States will experience sexual abuse in their lifetime. One hundred and twenty million girls aged < 20 years have suffered forced sexual contact worldwide (World Health Organization 2022). In addition, retrospective studies of adults indicate that 1 in 5 victims of sexual abuse never disclose their victimization (Tener and Murphy, 2015). Sexual abuse can result in significant lifelong sequelae for victims. Experiencing sexual abuse can negatively influence how an individual thinks, acts, and feels (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 2022).

Effective parenting is crucial to a child's physical, developmental, emotional, and social well-being (Rassart et al., 2022). Parenting behaviors, attitudes, and practices are influenced by several factors, including caregiver values, beliefs, culture, and past experiences (Hornor et al., 2020
). Parental history of child sexual abuse can profoundly impact an individual's parenting ability. Pediatric nurse practitioners (PNPs) care for children who have experienced sexual abuse or are being parented by a sexual abuse survivor, often without PNP awareness of the trauma exposure. It is crucial for PNPs and all pediatric health care providers to understand the relationship between sexual abuse victimization and parenting to better advocate for vulnerable children and their caregivers. This continuing education article will explore sexual abuse victimization and its' potential impact on adults who parent with a focus on implications for practice.

Language: en

Keywords

*Child Abuse, Sexual/psychology/statistics & numerical data; *Crime Victims/psychology; *Parenting/psychology; Child; Child sexual abuse; children; Female; Humans; Male; parenting