The effects of psychotherapy on behavior problems of sexually abused deaf children

• Published in: Child abuse & neglect 1992, Vol.16 (2), p.297-307
• Main Authors: Sullivan, Patricia M., Scanlan, John M., Brookhouser, Patrick E., Schulte, Laura E., Knutson, John F.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Behavior; Behavior Problems; Biological and medical sciences; Child; Child Abuse; Child abuse & neglect; Child Abuse, Sexual - complications; Child Behavior Disorders - psychology; Child Behavior Disorders - therapy; Deafness; Deafness - complications; Effect Size; Efficacy; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Hearing impaired; Humans; Intervention; Male; Medical sciences; Outcomes of Treatment; Program Effectiveness; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Psychotherapies. Psychological and clinical counseling; Psychotherapy; Residential Facilities; Residential Schools; Sex crimes; Sex Differences; Sex Factors; Sexual Abuse; Therapy; Treatments
• ISSN: 0145-2134; 1873-7757
• DOI: 10.1016/0145-2134(92)90036-Q

This study assessed the effectiveness of a broad based psychotherapeutic intervention with a sample of 72 children sexually abused at a residential school for the deaf. An untreated comparison group emerged when about half of their parents refused the offer for psychotherapy provided by the school. Treated and untreated children were randomly assigned to two assessment groups: those who participated in a pretreatment assessment and those who did not. Houseparents at the residential school used the Child Behavior Checklist (CBC) to rate the pretreatment assessment children before treatment and all 72 children one year after the implementation of psychotherapy. Children receiving therapy had significantly fewer behavior problems than children not receiving therapy. There was a differential response to therapy on the basis of sex. Boys receiving therapy had significantly lower scores on the following CBC scales than the no treatment group: Total, Internal, External, Somatic, Uncommunicative, Immature, Hostile, Delinquent, Aggressive, and Hyperactive. There were no differences on the Schizoid and Obsessive scales. Girls receiving therapy had significantly lower scores than the no treatment group on the following CBC scales: Total, External, Depressed, Aggressive, and Cruel. There were no differences on the Internal, Anxious, Schizoid, Immature, Somatic, and Delinquent scales. Cette étude a évalué l'efficacité d'une intervention psychothérapeutique dans un échantillon de 72 enfants abusés sexuellement dans une école résidentielle pour les sourds. Un groupe de comparaison non traité s'est formé, puisque la moitié des parents ont refusé l'aide psychothérapeutique offerte par l'école. Les enfants traités et non traités ont été dirigés au hasard vers deux groupes d'évaluation: ceux qui participaient à une évaluation avant le traitement et ceux qui n'y participaient pas. Les parents d'acceuil de l'école résidentielle ont utilisé une liste d'évaluation comportementale (Child Behaviour Checklist — CBC) pour marquer l'évaluation avant le traitement et 72 enfants un an aprés l'installation de la psychothérapie. Les enfants ayant été traités présentaient significativement moins de problèmes comportementaux que les enfants n'ayant pas eu de psychothérapie. Une différence de réponse à la thérapie a été notée sur base du sexe des enfants. Les garçons soumis à la thérapie marquaient significativement moins de points CBC que le groupe non traité pour les échelles CBC suivante