Short-Term Correlates of Child Sexual Abuse: An Exploratory Study Predicting Girls' Academic, Cognitive, and Social Functioning 1 Year Later

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to explore factors influencing the academic, cognitive, and social functioning of 50 Canadian French-speaking sexually abused girls (age 7 to 12 years). Contextual, personal, and family factors characterizing the environment of children postdisclosure were examined as potential predictors of outcomes 1 year later. The severity and duration of the abuse, exposure to other forms of victimization, and symptoms of dissociation were associated with outcomes over time in one or more of the three domains assessed. Personal variables were also identified as important protective factors, including younger age at disclosure, greater use of approach coping strategies, and children's involvement in structured extracurricular activities. Results are discussed in terms of clinical implications.

Keywords:

• child sexual abuse
• school functioning
• academic performance
• social problems
• cognitive skills
• extracurricular activities
• coping

Acknowledgments

Work on this study was supported by a grant from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) to Martine Hébert and by doctoral scholarships awarded to the first author by the SSHRC, the Fonds Québecois de la recherche sur la société et la culture (FQRSC), the Centre de recherche interdisciplinaire sur les problèmes conjugaux et les agressions sexuelles (CRIPCAS), and the Centre de Recherche du Centre hospitalier Universitaire Mère-Enfant de l'Hôpital Sainte-Justine. The authors wish to thank the mothers and children who participated in this study, along with Dr. Anne-Claude Bernard-Bonnin, Dr. Claire Allard-Dansereau, and the members of the Clinique de pédiatrie socio-juridique du CHU Mère-Enfant de l'Hôpital Sainte-Justine. We also wish to acknowledge the contribution of Nathalie Parent and Manon Robichaud in managing the databank.