Isabelle V. Daignault

Correlates of Behavioral Outcomes in Sexually Abused Children

The present study attempted to identify individual and contextual factors associated with outcomes in a group of 63 latency-aged children disclosing sexual abuse (SA). Children reporting SA were found to display greater internalizing and externalizing behavioral difficulties as well as more sexualized behaviors relative to same-age non-abused peers. Mothers also reported these children as less socially competent than their peers. Family contextual factors appeared to be associated with behavioral difficulties and made a unique contribution to the prediction of externalizing and sexualized behaviors. Of the personal variables, avoidance coping was found to be linked to poorer outcomes. In examining possible factors linked to ‘resilient’ outcomes in a 6-month time-frame, family conflict and avoidance coping were found to be associated to clinical status in children reporting SA.

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

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.

The French-Canadian Version of the Self-Report Coping Scale: Estimates of the Reliability, Validity, and Development of a Short Form.

a French-Canadian version of the SRCS. The current study a1ms to provide intt1al data on two propert1es: reliability and validity of scores from the French-Canadian version of the SRCS (Causey & Dubow, 1992). Although translation of questiOnnaires IS common practice, translation by itself does not necessarily result in valtd and reltable scores. The stntcture of the translated scale needs to be examined, and statistical analyses are needed to establtsh the reliab1ltty and validity of the scores from the translated scale (Hambleton & De Jong, 2003; van Widenfelt, Treffers, De Beurs, Siebelink, & KoudiJS, 2005). In addition, data are presented m regard to the properties of scores derived from a short form of the SRCS. Providing initial data regarding the reliability and validity of test scores derived from the short form of the scale may present considerable advantages for investigators when the research context does not permit the use of time-consuming measures and in the evaluation of younger children. Two studies are summarized in the current article. The goals of the first study were to provide data on the reliability characteristics of scores from the French-Canadian version of the SRCS: (a) internal consistency and (b) test retest reliability. Study l examined the factor structure of the scale. Data from Study I were used to derive a short form of the scale. The objectives of Study 2 were to gather data relat1ve to the psychometric properties of the scores from the short form with an mdependent sample and to investigate the construct validtty by correlating scores with various tndices and by contrasting the coptng scores of a group of children reporting sexual abuse w1th the coping scores of children from a paired comparison group of children who were not abused.