Cognitive interference for trauma cues in sexually abused adolescent girls with posttraumatic stress disorder

Investigated cognitive processing of fear-relevant information in sexually abused adolescent girls with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) using a modified Stroop procedure (MSP). Participants were 20 sexually abused girls with PTSD, 13 sexually abused girls without PTSD, and 20 nonvictimized girls who served as controls, 11 to 17 years old. Word conditions included abuse-related threat, developmentally relevant (related to the experience of sexual abuse, e.g., trust, secrecy, and intimacy), general threat, positive, and neutral. Girls with PTSD were expected to show cognitive interference for trauma-related words as well as for developmentally relevant words, relative to adolescents without PTSD. Overall color naming was significantly slower in the PTSD group than in the nonabused controls. Contrary to expectation, all participants demonstrated cognitive interference for trauma-related words. Relevant theoretical and methodological issues are highlighted.     

Sexual and Physical Abuse Among Adolescent Girls with Disruptive Behavior Problems

We examined the prevalence and age of onset of physical and sexual abuse in a clinic-referred sample of adolescent girls, as well as differences in diagnoses and symptoms among abused and non-abused girls. Forty-nine girls (aged 13–17 years) with disruptive behavior were interviewed along with their primary caretaker. Data were gathered through both a structured interview with the girl and her parent, as well as self and parent-report questionnaires. Findings indicated that the prevalence of Conduct Disorder (CD) and Major Depression were higher for abused girls. Somatoform Pain Disorder was significantly less likely for physically abused girls, compared to girls who were both physically and sexually abused. Of CD symptoms, truancy was twice as high for the physically and sexually abused group, compared to the prevalence for non-abused girls. Internalizing symptoms were also highest for the dual abuse group. Onset graphs show that the onset of sexual abuse usually occurred at an earlier age than the onset of physical abuse. Abused girls showed an earlier age of onset of CD symptoms. Results indicated that the experience of combined types of abuse is associated with a poorer psychiatric prognosis.     

贵州少数民族地区隔代教养与儿童人际和谐的关系

目的:探究贵州少数民族地区隔代教养对儿童人际和谐的关系。方法:采用祖父母隔代教养问卷和自编的少数民族地区儿童人际和谐问卷对贵州省都匀市6～14岁的儿童进行调查,并使用Spss15.0和Amos7.0对调查数据进行统计分析。结果:发现女生在家人和谐与传统型教养方式上得分显著高于男生,在族际和谐上与父母同住的儿童要显著高于与祖父母同住以及与父母、祖父母同住的儿童;各种隔代教养类型与儿童人际和谐均有显著的相关关系。结论:贵州少数民族地区隔代教养对儿童人际和谐具有显著的正向影响作用。     

父母早期受虐与子女对立违抗症状的关系:亲子虐待和儿童愤怒管理的作用

本研究探讨了父母的早期受虐经历与子女的对立违抗症状的关系,通过构建一个有调节的中介模型,考察了亲子虐待的中介效应和儿童愤怒管理对该效应的调节作用。采用问卷法对359名来自北京市、山东省和云南省的14所小学一至五年级的儿童及其父母进行调查,研究工具包括儿童对立违抗症状评估表、童年期创伤问卷、儿童愤怒管理量表。结果发现：（1）男孩的ODD症状得分显著高于女孩;男孩受到的躯体虐待、情感忽视和躯体忽视显著多于女孩（2）在控制了儿童性别后,父母在童年期的受虐经历仍可显著正向预测其成年期的家庭中子女的ODD症状;（3）亲子虐待在父母受虐和子女ODD症状之间起完全中介作用,即父母受虐通过亲子虐待间接影响子女ODD症状;（4）父母受虐通过亲子虐待影响子女ODD症状的中介效应后半路径受到子女个体水平愤怒失调（AD）的调节,具体来说,当AD水平较高时,亲子虐待对ODD症状的影响更大;但愤怒应对（AC）和愤怒抑制（AI）对中介效应无显著调节作用。     

Counselor preference and anticipated comfort ratings for a clinic sample of sexually abused versus non-abused girls

We compared counselor preference and anticipated comfort ratings for sexually abused and non-abused girls. Twenty-five sexually abused and 22 non-sexually abused girls between ages 7 and 17 participated in an initial psychological evaluation at a university outpatient clinic. Results obtained using the Counselor Preference and Comfort Survey revealed no significant difference between sexually abused and non-abused girls' ratings of their preference for male or female counselors and their anticipated comfort with male counselors; non-abused girls expressed significantly higher anticipated comfort with female counselors than did their abused counterparts. It was illustrated that younger girls', abused and non-abused, were more likely to prefer a female counselor and to anticipate being more comfortable with a female counselor. In addition, older non-abused girls were more likely to prefer a male counselor and more likely to anticipate being comfortable with a male counselor. Participants in both groups expressed a higher preference for and anticipated comfort with female counselors as compared with male counselors.     

Child molestations by homosexual foster parents: Illinois, 1997--2002

Do those who engage in homosexuality disproportionately sexually abuse foster or adoptive children as reported by child protective services? Illinois child services reported sexual abuse for 1997 through 2002. 270 parents committed "substantiated" sexual offenses against foster or subsidized adoptive children: 67 (69%) of 97 of these mother and 148 (86%) of 173 of these father perpetrators sexually abused girls; 30 (31%) of the mothers and 25 (14%) of the father perpetrators sexually abused boys, i.e., 92 (34%) of the perpetrators homosexually abused their charges. Of these parents 15 both physically and sexually abused charges: daughters by 8 of the mothers and 4 of the fathers, sons by 3 of the mothers, i.e., same-sex perpetrators were involved in 53%. Thus, homosexual practitioners were proportionately more apt to abuse foster or adoptive children sexually.     

Rorschach assessment of psychological functioning in sexually abused girls

We measured psychological functioning in a group of 79 Black females between the ages of 5 and 16 and a comparison group of nonabused girls using the Rorschach. In addition to Exner's (1985) Comprehensive System, the Elizur (1949) Rorschach Content Test Scale (RCT), the Mutuality of Autonomy Scale (MOA; Urist, 1977; Urist & Shill, 1982), and the Barrier and Penetration Scales (Fisher & Cleveland, 1968) were used. Sexually abused girls were found to show more disturbed thinking, to experience a higher level of stress relative to their adaptive abilities, to describe human relationships more negatively, and to show more preoccupation with sexuality than the comparison group. The distress experienced by the victimized children was more related to internal mediating variables then to abuse characteristics. Sexually abused girls who are cognitively and emotionally active also experienced high levels of distress compared to abused girls who are psychologically constricted.     

Rorschach Assessment of Psychological Functioning in Sexually Abused Girls

We measured psychological functioning in a group of 79 Black females between the ages of 5 and 16 and a comparison group of nonabused girls using the Rorschach. In addition to Exner's (1985) Comprehensive System, the Elizur (1949) Rorschach Content Test Scale (RCT), the Mutuality of Autonomy Scale (MOA; Urist, 1977, Urist & Shill, 1982), and the Barrier and Penetration Scales (Fisher & Cleveland, 1968) were used. Sexually abused girls were found to show more disturbed thinking, to experience a higher level of stress relative to their adaptive abilities, to describe human relationships more negatively, and to show more preoccupation with sexuality than the comparison group. The distress experienced by the victimized children was more related to internal mediating variables then to abuse characteristics. Sexually abused girls who are cognitively and emotionally active also experienced high levels of distress compared to abused girls who are psychologically constricted.     

Presenting problems of sexually abused girls receiving psychiatric services

Twenty-three behaviors among those suggested in the literature to be associated with sexual abuse were studied in 195 girls, ages 2-18 years, who were consecutive admissions to three Midwestern mental health agencies. Results indicated that sexually inappropriate behaviors, sleep disturbance, depressed mood, and delinquent behavior occurred more frequently in young abuse victims than in clinic comparisons. Sexually inappropriate behaviors and running away appeared more often in older sexually abused girls, than they appeared in older clinic comparisons. These comparisons of the presenting problems of sexually abused and nonabused girls suggested there are few behavioral "markers" of sexual abuse in clinical samples and that sexual abuse may not be a unique contributing factor in the ontogeny of childhood psychopathology.     

Expectancies for Sexually Abused Children: Evidence of Perceiver Bias

We investigated perceiver bias in relation to children labeled as sexually abused. Building on recent research indicating that adults perceive children with such a label as having more behavioral problems and lower achievement, we replicated and expanded upon an earlier study. We tested undergraduate students (N = 699), who judged a six-year old child's aggressive behavior in vignettes that varied on severity of the aggressive behavior, child gender, and family history (sexually abused, mother dying of cancer, normal). Perceiver bias was related to family history label for internalizing behavior problems and competence issues and child gender for internalizing behavior problems and externalizing behavior problems. Implications for educators and practitioners are discussed as well as routes for future research.     

The role of the executive functions in school achievement at the end of Grade 1

The aim of this study was to determine the role of executive functions (EFs) in early school achievement when a variety of potential confounding factors were controlled. Measures of EF (inhibition, flexibility, and working memory) and school readiness were administered to a sample of 85 kindergartners (39 boys and 46 girls, 5-6 years old). School achievement was then assessed at the end of Grade 1. Results show math and reading/writing skills at the end of Grade 1 to be associated with kindergarten EFs. Only working memory contributed uniquely to the variance in school achievement after all covariates (preacademic abilities, affective variables, and family variables) were controlled and, even then, only with respect to math skills. On the other hand, working memory and inhibition had an indirect effect on reading/writing skills via anger-aggression. EF implication in school achievement is discussed in terms of task demands and child age.     

Child sexual abuse by family members: A radical feminist perspective

Radical feminist theory states that patriarchy is related to the oppression and victimization of women. This study focuses on the extent to which radical feminist theory can be used to understand male and female children as victims of sexual abuse by female and male family members. The data are cases (N=3864) of “substantiated” and “indicated” intrafamilial child sexual abuse reported to the Indiana Department of Public Welfare. The sample is approximately 80% white and mostly middle to lower middle class. In support of the theory, it was found that, while men were overwhelmingly perpetrators of child sexual abuse in the family (87%), girls were usually the victims (85%), even when the perpetrator was a woman. Women abused more boys in single-parent homes than in two-parent homes that contained a man as representative of the patriarchal order. In contrast, the presence of a woman in two-parent families did not inhibit the victimization of girls. Men victimized more girls in two-parent homes than in single-parent homes. Additional support for radical feminist theory was indicated by the finding that most women were coperpetrators with a man, while over 90% of the men acted alone.     

Early puzzle play: a predictor of preschoolers' spatial transformation skill

Individual differences in spatial skill emerge prior to kindergarten entry. However, little is known about the early experiences that may contribute to these differences. The current study examined the relation between children's early puzzle play and their spatial skill. Children and parents (n = 53) were observed at home for 90 min every 4 months (6 times) between 2 and 4 years of age (26 to 46 months). When children were 4 years 6 months old, they completed a spatial task involving mental transformations of 2-dimensional shapes. Children who were observed playing with puzzles performed better on this task than those who did not, controlling for parent education, income, and overall parent word types. Moreover, among those children who played with puzzles, frequency of puzzle play predicted performance on the spatial transformation task. Although the frequency of puzzle play did not differ for boys and girls, the quality of puzzle play (a composite of puzzle difficulty, parent engagement, and parent spatial language) was higher for boys than for girls. In addition, variation in puzzle play quality predicted performance on the spatial transformation task for girls but not for boys. Implications of these findings as well as future directions for research on the role of puzzle play in the development of spatial skill are discussed.     

Changes in Family Structure After a Renal Transplant

Two girls (9 and 10 years old) and one male adolescent (19 years old) with chronic renal failure (CRF) were studied along with their families in order to evaluate their family structure before (4–5 weeks) and after (3–5 weeks) a renal transplant from a live donor. After the renal transplant there was a close association between the donor and the recipient that led to the creation of an alliance or the reinforcement of an alliance already present before the transplant. This may favor a family disruption or a better family equilibrium depending upon whether the donor ranked highest in the family hierarchy and was already in a rigid alliance with the patient before the transplant. It is suggested that the study and diagnosis of the family structure before the renal transplant may help to: (a) select the most suitable donor candidate from a biological as well as psychological point of view so as to allow a better possibility of success in the structural functioning of the family after the transplant; (b) predict changes that will appear within the family after the transplant, which in turn may alert the personnel to detect changes in the family structure as early as possible; and (c) offer more rapid therapeutic assistance to bring the family back to a functional level within its social framework.     

Development of behavioural problems in children adopted from Romania to the Netherlands,after a period of deprivation

A longitudinal study was conducted among 72 Romanian adoptive children (41 boys, 31 girls) in the Netherlands, who, according to the parents and medical records, had all experienced a period of some degree of deprivation before their adoption. The children were on average 2 years and 9 months old at adoption. Parents filled out the Child Behavioural Checklist twice. On average there was little change in scores between the two measurements, and correlations were high. Some children displayed a marked improvement, or worsening of problems. The change in CBCL scores was not related to age or health on arrival into the adoptive family. Children who received special education at the first measurement (31%) improved significantly more on Total Problems than children who didn't. The same applied to professional help, the 46 children (64%) for whom professional help was engaged improved significantly more than the other 26 children. It appears to be effective to engage educational and psychological help for these (severely) deprived children at an early stage.     

Immediate and delayed suggestibility among suspected child victims of sexual abuse

Children suspected of being victims of sexual abuse are often interviewed by police, but little is known about the effects of sexual abuse on their suggestibility. The aim of this paper was to investigate differences in ‘immediate’ and ‘delayed’ suggestibility between children being investigated as suspected victims of sexual abuse and other children and to compare the suggestibility scores of children allegedly abused by a family member versus a person from outside the family. The participants were 180 children aged between 7 and 16 years, who had been subdivided into ‘victim’ and ‘control’ groups; each group being comprised of 90 children and matched for IQ. All children completed the Gudjonsson Suggestibility Scale (GSS 2) and a non-verbal IQ test. The children in the victim group scores significantly higher on Shift and Yield 2 than the control group, after controlling for memory capacity. Children abused by a family member coped significantly worse with interrogative pressure (high Shift) than those abused by a non-family member. Immediate suggestibility showed much stronger effects than delayed suggestibility. The findings suggest that sexually abused children are very vulnerable during questioning where there is interrogative pressure and those abused by a family member are even more vulnerable.     

Internationally adopted children’s cognitive and social-emotional development during the first post-adoption year: A longitudinal study

Research is consistent in showing that international adoption is an intervention leading to great recovery for adopted children, but there is a need of research on factors associated with recovery. The present study is aimed at: (a) assessing children’s cognitive skills and social-emotional dimensions on their arrival to their new family; (b) evaluating their development after one year; (c) identifying which factors influence development, taking into account children’s gender, age, health status on arrival, years of institutionalization, and the initial psychological delay. Participants were 53 internationally adopted children (30 boys and 23 girls), aged 5.68 years old on average at placement (range 2–14). Results showed that children’s development one year after adoption was extraordinary, both in cognitive skills and in social-emotional dimensions. The children more delayed on arrival showed the larger progress over time, and their recovery was greater in cognitive skills than in social-emotional dimensions.     

Étude des préférences affectives dans la relation fraternelle au travers du dessin de famille imaginaire

This article reveals the role of older (real or imaginary) brothers and sisters, and more broadly the part of affective process in socialization of 4-5 years old girls born of mixed sibling, single-sex sibling or single girl. We used the imaginary family drawing followed by an interview on the sibling relationship. The qualitative and quantitative analysis' results reveal that identifications are always overloaded to the affects but are directed according to the sex of the chosen model. Moreover, most of the girls increase their own sex-group and assert in this manner their sexual identity. The brother's experiment depends on the populations and allows the child in a mix-sibling configuration to be more flexible according to sexual stereotypes.     

“Relational” vs. “Specific Stimulus” Learning in Discrimination

The problems of 514 male and female adolescents of 14 and 15 years of age were investigated using an open-ended questionnaire. While there was a high correlation between problem areas for boys and girls, boys reported more problems concerned with educational adjustment and girls more problems concerned with family adjustments. The mean number of reported problems by girls was significantly higher than those reported by boys. It was concluded that the problems of the Sydney adolescent are basically similar to those of adolescents in other Western cultures.     

Correlates of Children's Eating Attitude Test scores among primary school children

A total of 107 Malay primary school girls (8-9 yr. old) completed a set of measurements on eating behavior (ChEAT, food neophobia scales, and dieting experience), the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, body shape satisfaction, dietary intake, weight, and height. About 38% of the girls scored 20 and more on the ChEAT, and 46% of them reported dieting by reducing sugar and sweets (73%), skipping meals (67%), reducing fat foods (60%) and snacks (53%) as the most frequent methods practiced. In general, those girls with higher ChEAT scores tended to have lower self-esteem (r=.39), indicating they were more unwilling to try new foods (food neophobic) (r=.29), chose a smaller figure for desired body size (r=-.25), and were more dissatisfied with their body size (r=.31).