Childhood sexual abuse characteristics, abuse stress, and PTSS: Ties to sexual behavior problems

Background: Sexual behavior problems (SBPs) are present in a subset of sexually abused children and are associated with more severe childhood sexual abuse (CSA) experiences; however, few studies have investigated abuse characteristics and SBPs. Children's reports of abuse stressors have not been previously examined and may provide novel information. Posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) have also been linked with SBPs but have not been consistently accounted for in prior studies, which may obscure the true relationships between abuse characteristics and stressors with SBPs. Moreover, the term SBP consists of a range of behaviors, including inter-personally-focused SBPs (ISBPs), and the relationships between abuse characteristics and stressors may differ in the context of ISBPs. Objective: The present study determined whether caregiver-reported abuse characteristics, child-reported abuse stressors, and PTSS, were associated with both SBPs and ISBPs. Participants and setting: Two-hundred and fifty-four sexually abused children (ages 2-12; M = 7.69, SD = 2.67; 58.7 % female; 52.8 % white) participated in the study. Results: Child- and caregiver-reported level of PTSS were related to SBPs, and trends were noted for greater caregiver-reported abuse severity and child-reported abuse-related stressors. When ISBPs were examined, boys, younger children, greater CSA severity, and higher levels of PTSS were associated with higher levels of ISBPs. Conclusions: Level of PTSS may be important in identifying children at risk for SBPs and ISBPs, and CSA severity may be more relevant in the development or maintenance of ISBPs specifically.