TY - JOUR PY - 2010// TI - Differences in Legal Outcomes for Male and Female Children Who Have Been Sexually Abused JO - Sexual abuse: a journal of research and treatment A1 - Edelson, Meredyth G. A1 - Joa, Debbie SP - 427 EP - 442 VL - 22 IS - 4 N2 - The goal of the present study was to determine whether or not there were sex differences in legal outcomes for children who were sexually abused. Using the methodology of Joa and Edelson (2004), the results indicated that males who were sexually abused had poorer legal outcomes than females. Specifically, it was found that cases involving male victims were less likely to be filed with the District Attorney (DA) than cases involving female victims and had fewer criminal counts charged. For those children seen at a Child Abuse Assessment Center, cases involving female victims were significantly more likely to be filed by the DA's office than were cases involving male victims. Finally, there were differences in whether guilty defendants pled guilty or were found guilty at trial depending on whether the defendant sexually abused a male or female. The implications of the findings are discussed.
Language: en
LA - en SN - 1079-0632 UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1079063210375973 ID - ref1 ER -