Adriana G. McEachern

Racial, ethnic, and cultural factors of childhood sexual abuse: a selected review of the literature

Considerable research on childhood sexual abuse exists; however, few studies have examined the role of race, ethnicity, and culture in such abuse. Past investigations have focused almost exclusively on several ethnic groups and races, namely whites, blacks, and Hispanics, without much delineation of cultural subgroup differences. Additionally, much of the existing research is conflicting and lacks consistency in the use of ethnic and racial terms and identification of cultural variations among the major groups. This paper will summarize and analyze the literature on childhood sexual abuse in relation to racial, ethnic, cultural, and other factors relevant to African American, Hispanic, and Asian populations. A critique of the current weaknesses in the literature, including contradictions and recommendations for future research are also presented.

Reporting Suspected Child Abuse: A Pilot Comparison of Middle and High School Counselors and Principals.

ABSTRACT A survey on experiences with child abuse reporting was obtained from 116 middle and high school counselors and principals across the U.S. Results revealed that counselors throughout their careers had made more reports than principals and perceived themselves to be better trained on child abuse. Those school professionals with fewer years of experience reported more adequate pre-service training. Counselors also failed to report in more instances than principals, citing as deterrents the lack of physical evidence and little faith in child protective services. Most counselors and principals took appropriate action when presented with case examples of child sexual abuse. Recommendations for future research are provided.

Sexual Abuse of Individuals with Disabilities: Prevention Strategies for Clinical Practice

Sexual abuse of individuals with disabilities occurs in alarming proportions, although the prevalence and incidence of such abuse is difficult to determine. Although all states maintain statistics on child sexual abuse, the rate of victimization for individuals with disabilities is not specific. This paper reviews several studies conducted on sexual abuse of individuals with disabilities with a focus on clinical prevention strategies. Recommendations for future directions in prevention and research are provided.

Prevalence and Characteristics of Childhood Sexual Abuse in Multiethnic Female College Students

ABSTRACT A survey of 164 college women revealed that 18% recalled some instance of childhood sexual abuse. These women were from a variety of ethnic, cultural, and economic backgrounds. The majority of the women were abused by nonfamily members (neighbors, acquaintances, friends of the family), but strangers were the identified perpetrators in 21% of the cases. In the intrafamilial sexual abuse cases, the perpetrator was most commonly a cousin. The majority of the sexual abuse consisted of fondling of the victim by the perpetrator (67%), with the second most reported experience being the exposure of the perpetrator to the victim (30%). There were differences in the economic backgrounds of the abused women when compared to the non-abused women, with the present findings differing from past research examining family of origin income level and sexual abuse. The importance of these findings is discussed as well as directions for future research.

Using Social Stories with Autistic Children

Children with autism have difficulty communicating and interacting with others. Lacking in social skills, they may exhibit symptoms of withdrawal, abnormal language patterns, and a preoccupation with unusual routines, behaviors, and objects. Therapists working with these children can create social stories to improve social functioning and behavior. Social stories are brief narratives that describe situations in terms of social cues and appropriate responses. They are individualized to the needs and abilities of the child and can be used to help children behave appropriately in social situations and to develop problem-solving skills.

Transition Groups for High School Students with Disabilities

Students with special needs and disabilities are often unprepared to handle the transition from school to work and/or school to post secondary training. They often lack direction and knowledge of the world of work or of the barriers they may face as they move beyond high school. School counselors can be instrumental in assisting with this experience. This paper proposes two models of psychoeducational groups that can be used by school counselors with students making transitions from high school. The counseling interventions outlined include career exploration, confronting barriers to employment, the job search process, selecting post secondary training, and other transition challenges.

Family environment in Hispanic college females with a history of childhood sexual abuse

ABSTRACT This study sought to examine the family environments of a sample of Hispanic women who reported childhood sexual abuse. Eighteen women, taken from a larger college sample, were individually interviewed and administered the Family Environment Scale (FES; Moos & Moos, 1994). Cultural values and the relationship of family characteristics to the individuals experience of sexual abuse were explored. The abused women obtained significantly higher scores on the Achievement-Orientation subscale of the FES than the normative group. Qualitative data revealed some patterns in these families regarding sexual discussions and poor conflict resolution skills. Implications for treatment of Hispanic victims are discussed.

A Comprehensive Group Approach for Commercially Sexually Exploited Girls

Project Girls Owning Their Lives and Dreams (GOLD) is a comprehensive group counseling program providing psychoeducational, growth, support, and counseling groups to adolescent victims of commercial sexual exploitation (CSE). Groups were facilitated by staff and community volunteers. Online surveys were administered to participants to gain their perceptions of the groups. Participants were generally satisfied with the groups and reported themes of bonding with peers, learning new skills, empowerment, and stress relief. Considerations for group work with this population are provided.