Doctoral Dissertations

Date of Award

12-1992

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy

Major

Psychology

Major Professor

Anne McIntyre

Committee Members

Suzanne Kurth, Richard Saudargas, Robert Wahler

Abstract

There is a paucity of research concerning Hispanic children, and in relation to sexually abused Hispanic children we know virtually nothing. The literature suggests that even with studies of White non-Hispanic children, there are no absolutes, as studies utilizing sound methodological designs are not abundant, and there are few replications. This investigation represents a beginning in the exploration of the effects of sexual abuse upon 4 - 9 year old Hispanic children. A sample of twenty sexually abused Hispanic children (10 male/10 female) classified as Mexican American in heritage, were compared to a matched sample of 20 sexually abused White non-Hispanic children. These subjects were matched on gender, age, economic status, relationship of primary perpetrator, and type of abuse. This study further utilized matched clinical control groups of 20 non-abused Hispanic and 20 non-abused White non-Hispanic children being seen for reasons other than abuse. Data in this study were collected utilizing the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL), the Child Behavior Checklist Teacher Report Form (TRF), the Children's Behavior Survey, and the Therapist Checklist. Results revealed differences in sexually related behaviors between the groups. Abused White non-Hispanic subjects manifested significantly higher sexually related problem behaviors in the school setting than the Hispanic sexually abused group, but the Hispanic sexually abused group was not significantly different from the Hispanic non-abused group on this variable. In the repeated measures ANOVAS, Hispanic children manifested lower sexually related problem behaviors in the school setting, and White non-Hispanic children manifested lower sexually related problem behaviors in the home setting. In the discriminant function analyses, Hispanic subjects were higher on internalized behavior problems. Non-abused subjects demonstrated higher overall levels of behavioral disturbance than the abused subjects with higher CBCL-EXT and CBCL SUM-T scores. Additionally, the CBCL-EXT, TRF-EXT, and the combined CBCL and TRF discriminant function analyses all predicted group membership between abused and non-abused subjects on these variables, with non-abused subjects manifesting higher scores and abused subjects manifesting lower scores. There were few differences in the subject groups across the variable of gender of subject. Overall, there was no one main dependent variable which clearly distinguished the Hispanic sexually abused subjects from all other subject groups in this investigation. However, the results of this investigation indicated, in relation to their behavior in the home setting, that proportionately more Hispanic sexually abused subjects reached clinical levels of disturbance than proportions of sexually abused White non-Hispanic subjects. Methodological considerations and implications for future research were discussed.

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