How children perceive the medical evaluation for suspected sexual abuse

• Published in: Child abuse & neglect 1994-09, Vol.18 (9), p.739-745
• Main Authors: Lazebnik, Rina, Zimet, Gregory D., Ebert, James, Anglin, Trina M., Williams, Paul, Bunch, Debra L., Krowchuk, Daniel P.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Allegations; Attitude to Health; Biological and medical sciences; Child; Child Abuse; Child abuse & neglect; Child Abuse, Sexual - diagnosis; Child Abuse, Sexual - psychology; Child sexual abuse; Child, Preschool; Childhood Attitudes; Children; Cross-Sectional Studies; Fear; Female; Humans; Male; Medical Evaluation; Medical evaluation for child sexual abuse; Medical examinations; Medical sciences; Medical screening; Pain - etiology; Perceptions; Physical Examination - adverse effects; Physical Examination - psychology; Physical Examinations; Physician-Patient Relations; Psychology, Child; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Regression Analysis; Sexual Abuse; Social research; Statistical Analysis; Victimology
• ISSN: 0145-2134; 1873-7757
• DOI: 10.1016/0145-2134(94)00040-9

This study investigated how 99 children who were examined for suspected sexual abuse (SSA) perceived their own medical evaluation experiences. Each child was interviewed about the degree of pain and fear associated with the experience, the kindness of the doctor, general fear of doctor visits, and degree of fear associated with a hypothetical second examination. The majority of children did not perceive their SSA examination to be strongly negative. However children did report greater fear associated with the SSA evaluation compared to an ordinary doctor visit. Using multiple regression, general fear of doctor visits and fear and pain associated with the SSA examination contributed to the prediction of intensity of fear about a hypothetical second SSA evaluation. Perceived kindness of the doctor, patient sex and age, and physician sex and age did not contribute to the regression equation. The relatively low reported rate of intense distress associated with medical evaluation of SSA suggests that fear and pain can be minimized and effectively managed for many children. The results of the regression analysis suggest that previous negative medical experiences may play an important role in determining how a child interprets the experience of an SSA medical evaluation. French abstract not available at time of publication. This abstract will appear in a future issue of the Journal. Este estudio investigó como 99 niños que fueron examinados por sospecha de abuso sexual (SSA) percibieron sus propias evaluaciones médicas. Cada niño fue entrevistado sobre el grado de dolor of miedo asociado con esta experiencia, la gentileza del doctor, el temor general a ls visitas al doctor, y el grado de temor asodiado con una hipotéica segunda evaluación. La mayoría de los niños no percibieron su examen de SSA como fuertemente negativo. Sin embargo los niños sí reportaron mayores temores asociados con la evaluación del SSA si se compara con la visita regular al doctor. Usando la regresión múltiple, el temor general a las visitas del doctor y el miedo y dolor asociados con el SSA contribuyeron a la prediccíon de intensidad del miedo en relación a una hipotética segunda evaluación. La gentileza percibida del doctor, la edad y el sexo del paciente, y la edad y el sexo del médico no contribuyeron a la ecuación de la regresión. La tasa relativamente baja de la intensidad de la molestia asociada con al evaluación médica sugiere que el temor y el miedo pueden ser minimizados y manejado