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The reported prevalence of physical and sexual abuse among a sample of children and adolescents at a public psychiatric hospital
Author(s) -
Randall Elizabeth J.,
Chowanec Gregory,
Thyer Bruce A.,
Josephson Allan M.
Publication year - 1994
Publication title -
journal of traumatic stress
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.259
H-Index - 134
eISSN - 1573-6598
pISSN - 0894-9867
DOI - 10.1002/jts.2490070416
Subject(s) - sexual abuse , psychiatry , physical abuse , medicine , child abuse , victimology , poison control , public health , child sexual abuse , injury prevention , psychiatric hospital , personality , personality disorders , clinical psychology , psychology , medical emergency , social psychology , nursing
In this retrospective analysis of inpatient charts, a total of 298 children and adolescents admitted to a public psychiatric hospital over a 1‐year period were examined for the prevalence of reported histories of physical or sexual abuse. Physical abuse was reported in 15% of the cases, while sexual abuse occurred in 13%. A variety of comparisons were made examining possible differences in gender, age, race, diagnosis, and personality trait disturbance among the abused and nonabused patients. Relative to known prevalence rates as reported to child protective agencies, physical or sexual abuse occurred much more frequently among our sample of patients, suggesting the need for careful assessment of such histories upon admission and during treatment.