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Self Esteem, Depression, Behaviour and Family Functioning in Sexually Abused Children
Author(s) -
Stern Anne E.,
Lynch Deborah L.,
Oates R. Kim,
O'Toole Brian I.,
Cooney George
Publication year - 1995
Publication title -
journal of child psychology and psychiatry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.652
H-Index - 211
eISSN - 1469-7610
pISSN - 0021-9630
DOI - 10.1111/j.1469-7610.1995.tb01352.x
Subject(s) - psychology , self esteem , depression (economics) , sexual abuse , clinical psychology , psychiatry , child abuse , mental health , poison control , suicide prevention , developmental psychology , medicine , medical emergency , economics , macroeconomics
Eighty‐four sexually abused children and their families, were compared with controls to look at short‐term effects of sexual abuse. The abuse group had more marital breakdown, unemployment, communication problems within the family and poor maternal mental health. The abused children had more depression, low self‐esteem and behaviour disorder, There was no relationship between intrafamilial abuse and depression, self‐esteem or behaviour disorder. More severe abuse was related to low self‐esteem and children's negative perceptions of their mothers. In planning treatment the child's relationship to the perpetrator may need less emphasis, with more on self‐esteem, depression, family functioning and the child's perceptions of the family.