Evaluation of attachment style, parent's attitude, depression and anxiety in adolescents who are sexually abused

Abstract

Purpose: The aim of this article was to describe the sociodemographic attributes of the adolescents who were sexual abused child and the characteristics of the sexual abuse encountered by adolescents; it was also aimed to compare their attachment styles to their parents, attitudes of their parents, their scale scores of depression and anxiety between healthy control group who haven't had sexual abuse. Materials and Methods: The research sample was formed by 34 adolescents in age range of 13-18 who had sexual abuse and 34 healthy adolescents in age range of 13-18 who haven't had sexual abuse. Sociodemographic data of all adolescents who joined the study were collected. Relationship Scales Questionnaire, Parental Attitude Scale, Children's Depression Inventory, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory were used to compare severity of depression and anxiety, parrental attitudes, the attachment styles to the parents of adolescents who had sexual abuse and adolescents who haven't had sexual abuse. Results: The average age of cases were calculated as 15.29±1.31. The fearful attachment subscale score average of sexual abuse group is significantly higher than the control group. The authoritarian attitude subscale score average of sexual abuse group is significantly higher than the control group. In addition, the depression and state-trait anxiety score average of sexual abuse group is significantly higher than the control group. Conclusion: It is extremely important to define the sociodemographic characteristics, characteristics of abuse and risk factors of children and adolescents who have been sexually abused, to increase mother-child interaction, to have parent trainings for the realization of secure attachment, to adopt a democratic parental attitude in terms of protecting the mental health of children and adolescents.