Gender Differences in Psychosocial Predictors of Attitudes Toward Reporting Child Sexual Abuse in the United Kingdom

Humphries, Rachel L.; Debowska, Agata; Boduszek, Daniel; Mattison, Michelle

doi:10.1080/10538712.2016.1133752

Cited by 4 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 56 publications

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“…Reporting abuse, especially sexual abuse, can be particularly challenging. Although denial of abuse or omission of details of abuse is common among both females and males, research demonstrates that females may be more likely than males to report abuse, and that factors such as social support, masculinity, ethnicity, and immigrant status may play a role in attitudes of reporting (Ashton, 2004; Azad & Leander, 2015; Humphries, Debowska, Boduszek, & Mattison, 2016; O’Leary & Barber, 2008). This is a notable challenge, especially when individuals are not given time and space to share their stories.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Childhood Trauma and Psychopathic Features Among Juvenile Offenders

Farina

Holzer

DeLisi

et al. 2018

Int J Offender Ther Comp Criminol

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Despite growing interest in psychopathic personality features in juvenile offenders, few studies have examined the relationship between childhood trauma and psychopathy. The present study utilized two datasets: 253 adolescents in a residential facility for juvenile offenders in Pennsylvania and 723 institutionalized delinquents in Missouri. Zero-order correlations and linear regression techniques were employed for boys and girls to examine the relationships between trauma, assessed using the Massachusetts Youth Screening Instrument Version 2 (MAYSI-2) Traumatic Experiences Scale and the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ), and psychopathy as measured by the Youth Psychopathic Traits Inventory (YPI) and the Psychopathic Personality Inventory-Short Form (PPI-SF). Results indicate that psychopathy is significantly correlated with childhood trauma. For the Missouri data, trauma significantly predicted psychopathy scores for both boys and girls. These results suggest that nuanced understanding of traumatic history of these adolescents may not only be a pathway to psychopathy but also a critical part of their overall assessment and treatment plan.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Childhood Trauma and Psychopathic Features Among Juvenile Offenders

Farina

Holzer

DeLisi

et al. 2018

Int J Offender Ther Comp Criminol

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“…There are myriad reasons for not reporting own abuse experiences, some of the most prominent ones being young age, social stigma experienced following disclosure, or not construing the way one is treated as abusive (Debowska et al, 2018). Professionals working with children as well as other adults who suspect a child is being abused may not make a formal report to authorities due to belief that reporting causes intrusions into family, their dissatisfaction with CPS, as well as desire to avoid court proceedings (Humphries, Debowska, Boduszek, & Mattison, 2016;Vulliamy & Sullivan, 2000). Even in countries where law requires childcare professionals to report suspected child abuse and neglect (CAN), underreporting is a considerable problem (Matthews & Walsh, 2004).…”

Section: Empirical Research Findings On Child Abuse In Stepfamiliesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Violence against Children by Stepparents

Debowska

Hales

Boduszek

2021

The SAGE Handbook of Domestic Violence

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A wide range of child and caregiver characteristics, including parental psychopathology, parents' childhood experiences of abuse, parenting stress, child age, parent age, child disabilities, socio-cultural background, and caregiver's relationship to the child, have been reported to contribute to increased risk of violence directed against children. Although there is a dearth of research into violence against children in stepfamilies, some studies have indicated that stepparents are more likely to abuse children compared with genetic parents.Stepparents also have been found to pose a significantly greater risk of using excessive violence, which can subsequently lead to the death of a child. The risk of violence against stepchildren has also been found to be significantly elevated with the presence of stepparent's genetic offspring. One possible explanation for increased violence in stepfamilies is that stepparents do not want to invest feelings and resources in children who do not carry copies of their genes. Sexual violence by stepparents, on the other hand, can be explained by the lack of exposure to a learning mechanism termed 'incest aversion', which refers to negative sexual imprinting during a critical period of early childhood to avoid inbreeding. Yet another possibility is that people who divorce are more likely to do so due to aggressive impulses which can play a part in relationship termination. When they remarry, those aggressive impulses can be directed against stepchildren. However, stepfamilies are also reported to experience more stressors associated with family violence, including alcohol abuse, child's behavioral problems, adverse contextual backgrounds, and weaker social networks. This suggests that the stepfamily structure may not be a risk factor of violence against children per se. The purpose of this chapter is to provide a description of the problem of violence against children by stepparents, discuss the extent of the phenomenon and its possible theoretical explanations, critically review empirical research assessing violence against children by stepmothers and stepfathers, as well as suggest directions for future research.

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