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Prevalence of childhood sexual abuse among Mexican adolescents
Author(s) -
PinedaLucatero A. G.,
TrujilloHernández B.,
MillánGuerrero R. O.,
Vásquez C.
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
child: care, health and development
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.832
H-Index - 82
eISSN - 1365-2214
pISSN - 0305-1862
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2214.2008.00888.x
Subject(s) - sexual abuse , childhood abuse , psychology , clinical psychology , psychiatry , medicine , developmental psychology , environmental health , suicide prevention , poison control
Abstract Background To determine the characteristics and prevalence of previous child sexual abuse among a group of Mexican junior high school students. Methods A total of 1067 adolescents of both genders were selected to fill out a survey about child sexual abuse. Results The prevalence of child sexual abuse was 18.7% ( n = 200). It was more frequent in girls (58%) than in boys (42%). Sexual abuse involved physical contact in 75% of those cases reporting abuse. The aggressors were neighbours (50.3%), relatives (36.8%) and strangers (13.9%). Abuse was committed through deception in 90% of the cases and involved physical mistreatment in 10% of the cases. Of the victims, 14.4% had spoken about the problem and 3.7% had taken legal action. And 9.6% of those surveyed stated that they required psychological counselling. Conclusions In the population studied, the prevalency of child sexual abuse was greater than that reported in Mexico City (4.3–8.4%), although it was similar to that found in the Spanish child population (15–23%). The risk of sexual abuse is greater for girls and the principal aggressors are male neighbours, family friends and relatives; the abuse is committed in the home of the aggressor or the victim and very few cases are reported to the authorities.