The Prevalence and Mental Health Sequels of Child Sexual Abuse in a Community Sample of Women Aged 18 to 27

Abstract

A community mental health survey of 750 women aged 18 to 27 in a large urban centre established mental health profiles using a variety of measures, including investigations of any history of child abuse (including sexual abuse, defined as the unwanted fondling of the child's genital area, or attempted or achieved penetration of the child's body before the age of 17). Overall, 32% of respondents recalled abuse of this type. Of the 750 women, 6.8% had experienced sexual abuse which went on for more than one week. This long-term category included virtually all of those who experienced abuse by a trusted, authority figure. The Trauma Symptom Checklist (TSC) was found to be the most useful instrument among the several used in identifying sexual abuse histories. Scores of 30 or more on the TSC identified 72% of victims of long-term abuse, while 23% of those with scores of 30 + had experienced short-term sexual abuse. Seven percent of individuals with 30 + scores had never experienced (or did not recall) sexual abuse. No particular sub-scale of the TSC had better utility in identifying former victims than did the scale total.