Childhood Sexual Abuse | Research & Encyclopedia Articles

Childhood Sexual Abuse

Although child abuse is probably as old as childhood itself, serious research into child abuse arguably began in 1962 with the publication of Kempe and colleagues' seminal paper, "The Battered Child Syndrome" (Kempe, Silverman, Steele, Droegemuller, and Silver 1962). Not long afterwards, health care professionals began to direct their attention to the specific problem of childhood sexual abuse (Cosentino and Collins 1996). In the past few decades, numerous instances have been documented in detailed case histories, and important research into the causes and consequences of childhood sexual abuse has been initiated.

Numerous extensive reviews have been published that summarize what is presently known about childhood sexual abuse, focusing on the following domains.

• Short-term effects (Beitchman et al. 1991; Beitchman et al. 1992; Briere and Elliott 1994; Browne and Finkelhor 1986; Finkelhor 1990; Gomes-Schwartz et al. 1990; Green 1993; Kelley 1995; Kendall-Tackett et al. 1993; Trickett and McBride-Chang, 1995).
• Long-term consequences (Beitchman et al. 1991; Briere 1988; Briere and Elliott 1994; Briere and Runtz 1991; Cahill et al.1991a; Collings 1995; Ferguson 1997; Finkelhor 1987; Gibbons 1996; Glod 1993; Green 1993; Murray 1993; Polusny and Follette 1995; Trickett and McBride-Chang 1995; Wolfe and Birt, 1995).
• Prevention of abuse (Adler and McCain 1994; Berrick and Barth 1992; MacMillan et al.

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