J M Fleming1. 1. National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health, Australian National University, Canberra. jmf868@nceph.anu.edu.au
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To ascertain the prevalence of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) in a community sample of Australian women. DESIGN: Retrospective study, done in 1994, of cross-sectional data on the prevalence of CSA, collected as part of a larger two-stage case-control study of the possible relationship between CSA and alcohol abuse. Data were appropriately weighted to adjust for the different selection probabilities of cases and controls. PARTICIPANTS: 710 Women randomly selected from Australian federal electoral rolls. RESULTS: One hundred and forty-four women (20%) had experienced CSA. In 14 of these 144 women (10%), the abuse involved either vaginal or anal intercourse (i.e., 2% of the sample population experienced such abuse). The mean age at first episode of CSA was 10 years, and most (71%) of the women were aged under 12 years at the time. Perpetrators of the abuse were usually male (98%) and usually known to the child; 41% were relatives. The mean age of abusers was 34 years, with a median age difference of 24 years from that of the abused individual. Only 10% of CSA experiences were ever reported to the police, a doctor or a helping agency (e.g., community organisations, such as sexual assault services). CONCLUSION: The high rates of CSA (estimated to be 20% of all women) and low rates of reporting (10%) indicate the need for general practitioners and other health professionals to be aware that a history of such abuse may be common in women in the general population.
OBJECTIVE: To ascertain the prevalence of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) in a community sample of Australian women. DESIGN: Retrospective study, done in 1994, of cross-sectional data on the prevalence of CSA, collected as part of a larger two-stage case-control study of the possible relationship between CSA and alcohol abuse. Data were appropriately weighted to adjust for the different selection probabilities of cases and controls. PARTICIPANTS: 710 Women randomly selected from Australian federal electoral rolls. RESULTS: One hundred and forty-four women (20%) had experienced CSA. In 14 of these 144 women (10%), the abuse involved either vaginal or anal intercourse (i.e., 2% of the sample population experienced such abuse). The mean age at first episode of CSA was 10 years, and most (71%) of the women were aged under 12 years at the time. Perpetrators of the abuse were usually male (98%) and usually known to the child; 41% were relatives. The mean age of abusers was 34 years, with a median age difference of 24 years from that of the abused individual. Only 10% of CSA experiences were ever reported to the police, a doctor or a helping agency (e.g., community organisations, such as sexual assault services). CONCLUSION: The high rates of CSA (estimated to be 20% of all women) and low rates of reporting (10%) indicate the need for general practitioners and other health professionals to be aware that a history of such abuse may be common in women in the general population.
Entities:
Keywords:
Age Factors; Alcohol Drinking--women; Australia; Behavior; Child; Child Abuse; Child, Female; Crime; Demographic Factors; Developed Countries; Measurement; Oceania; Population; Population Characteristics; Prevalence; Research Methodology; Research Report; Retrospective Studies; Sexual Abuse; Social Problems; Studies; Women; Youth
Authors: Carolyn E Sartor; Arpana Agrawal; Vivia V McCutcheon; Alexis E Duncan; Michael T Lynskey Journal: J Stud Alcohol Drugs Date: 2008-09 Impact factor: 2.582