Children's Perceptions of Genital Examinations During Sexual Abuse Evaluations

Children's reactions to the medical evaluation of sexual abuse and the methods that enhance their coping ability have not been well addressed in the literature. For many children, a genital examination can be highly stressful, and may even trigger memories of the sexual abuse itself. Stress can...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Child welfare 1993-01, Vol.72 (1), p.41-49
Main Authors: BERSON, NANCY L., HERMAN-GIDDENS, MARCIA E., FROTHINGHAM, THOMAS E.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Anger
Anxiety
Attitude to Health
Case Studies
Child
Child abuse & neglect
Child Abuse, Sexual - diagnosis
Child Abuse, Sexual - psychology
Child Sexual Abuse
Child Welfare
Child, Preschool
Children
Emotional Response
Evaluation
Female
Genital Examinations
Humans
Internal-External Control
Interviews
Patient Care Team
Patient Participation - psychology
Perceptions
Physical Examination - psychology
Physical Examinations
Physicians
PRACTICE FORUM
Practitioner Patient Relationship
Psychological Stress
Sex crimes
Sexual Abuse
Social research
Stress Management
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Children's reactions to the medical evaluation of sexual abuse and the methods that enhance their coping ability have not been well addressed in the literature. For many children, a genital examination can be highly stressful, and may even trigger memories of the sexual abuse itself. Stress can be reduced by preparing the child for the examination, by giving the child greater control, and by debriefing the child (and parents) afterward. Research is needed to develop the most effective techniques for reducing children's stress during a genital examination.
ISSN:0009-4021