Childhood sexual abuse and psychological disturbance in a national youth sample

OBJECTIVE: This study was designed to ascertain the prevalence, correlates, and psychological consequences of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) in a Danish representative sample of more than 6,000 adolescents studied at age 15. METHOD: An anonymous computer assisted self interview (CASI) was employed, providing information on prevalence rates, types of abuse, ages of victims, relationship to the abuser, and rates of anxiety and depression. RESULTS: Nearly 12% reported having experienced CSA before the age of 15 years. Most of the abusers were young men, disclosure of the abuse was infrequent, and seldom ever officially reported. There were consistent relationships between the extent of CSA and risk of psychological disturbance, with those reporting CSA involving intercourse having the highest rates of symptoms of anxiety and depression. These results persisted when findings were adjusted for childhood family and related factors. CONCLUSIONS: The findings sugggest that CSA is associated with increased risk of psychological disturbance in adolescence even when allowance is made for confounding factors. Key words: Childhood sexual abuse, childhood and family factors.