The investigation of sexual abused cases' sociodemographic and clinical features

Sexual abuse of the children is an important public health problem. In this study, we evaluated the clinical characteristics of cases who exposed to childhood sexual abuse, and investigated which factors are important for the menagement of prevention and psychiatric treatment of these cases. In this study, a total of 94 cases who referred to our out-patient clinic due to sexual abuse were included. Biopsychosocial data of cases were obtained by retrospective screening of data related to abuse and clinical follow-up. Depression Scale for Children and Traumatic Stress Reaction Scale for Children were applied to all cases. In our study, the mean age of the cases was 12.5 and the majority were girls. A significant proportion of the cases had premorbid psychiatric disorder and mental retardation. The majority of cases were low socioeconomic level and the educational status of parents, especially mothers, was found to be low. Our study showed that the abuses occurred mostly in the home contidions, in vacant land, in unused / abandoned buildings and in an unsupervised part of the buildings. Particularly boys and small age group cases were exposed to abuse in these uncontrolled areas. Abusers were often someone who has known the victim and these cases were usually determined as penetrant abuse. It was found that boys, older age groups, mental retardation cases, children from rural areas, children who are abused by more than one person, children with incest abuse, children abused at home and abandoned buildings were more exposed to penetrant abuse. Various psychiatric disorders developed after the abuse in 84% of the cases, and depression and post-traumatic stress disorder were most frequently seen diagnoses among cases. There was a significant correlation between the penetrant abuse and development of psychiatric disorder and scale scores. The results of our study will help to determine the precautions for preventing of abuse and the menagement of treatment of abused children.