Citation

Zink TM, Klesges L, Stevens S, Decker P. J. Interpers. Violence 2009; 24(3): 537-546.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2009, SAGE Publishing)

DOI

10.1177/0886260508317198

PMID

18451098

PMCID

PMC2733243

Abstract

Childhood sexual abuse (CSA) is common and is associated with both mental and physical health problems in adulthood. Using data from an age- and sexstratified population survey of 600 Olmsted County, Minnesota, residents, a Sexual Abuse Severity Score was developed. The abuse characteristics of 156 CSA respondents were associated with self-reported trauma, somatization, and alcohol use. Characteristics included age of first sexual abuse, more than one perpetrator, degree of coercion, severity of abuse (i.e., attempted intercourse is more severe than fondling), and the number of occurrences. This is one of the few reports to develop a risk summary that quantifies the severity of CSA.

Language: en