Sexual abuse during childhood and adolescence among Nicaraguan men and women: a population-based anonymous survey

Aims: The objective was to describe experiences of sexual abuse occurring before 19 years of age among men and women in León, Nicaragua and to explore the possible association to later sexual risk behavior. Method: A sub-sample of literate urban men and women 25–44 years of age was selected from a r...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Child abuse & neglect 2000-12, Vol.24 (12), p.1579-1589
Main Authors: Olsson, Ann, Ellsberg, Mary, Berglund, Staffan, Herrera, Andrés, Zelaya, Elmer, Peña, Rodolfo, Zelaya, Felix, Persson, Lars-Åke
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescent
Adolescents
Adult
Child
Child abuse & neglect
Child Abuse, Sexual - ethnology
Child Sexual Abuse
Childhood sexual abuse
Children
Cultural Characteristics
Family Relations
Female
Humans
Incidence
Male
Men
Nicaragua
Nicaragua - epidemiology
Nicaragua - ethnology
Polls & surveys
Rape
Risk Factors
Sex crimes
Sex Differences
Sexual Abuse
Sexual Behavior
Sexual risk behavior
Surveys
Teenagers
Women
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Summary:Aims: The objective was to describe experiences of sexual abuse occurring before 19 years of age among men and women in León, Nicaragua and to explore the possible association to later sexual risk behavior. Method: A sub-sample of literate urban men and women 25–44 years of age was selected from a representative sample of households in León. After an invitation to a public health event, 154 men (53% of the invited) and 213 women (66% of those invited) participated in giving written answers to an anonymous questionnaire. Results: Twenty percent of men and 26% of women reported that they had experienced sexual abuse. Women had been victims of attempted or completed rape twice as often as men, 15% as compared to 7%. Thirty-three percent of the abuse towards boys and 66% of the abuse towards girls was committed by family members. Women who had experienced attempted or completed rape were more likely to later have had a higher number of sexual partners compared to non-abused or moderately abused women. Conclusions: Sexual abuse of children and adolescents of both sexes is common in Nicaragua. The results underscore the urgent need to address this serious problem more openly, and to make more resources available for the prevention of sexual abuse and for support to victims. Objectif: L’objectif a consisté à décrire les expériences d’abus sexuels précédant l’âge de 19 ans chez des hommes et des femmes à Leon au Nicaragua ainsi qu’à explorer l’association éventuelle avec des comprotements à risque ultérieurement. Méthode: Un sous-échantillon d’hommes et de femmes de 25 à 44 ans sachant lire et écrire, a été sélectionné parmi un échantillon représentatif de résidents de Leon. Après une invitation à une réunion publique concernant la santé, 154 hommes (53% des invités) et 213 femmes (66% des invité) ont participé à un questionnaire sous forme de réponses écrites anonymes. Résultats: 20% des hommes et 26% des femmes ont fait état d’une expérience d’abus sexuel. Les femmes avaient été victimes de tentative de viol ou de viol réalisé deux fois plus souvent que les hommes, 15% contre 7%. 33% des abus sur les garçons et 66% sur les filles avaient eu pour auteurs des membres de la famille. Les femmes qui avaient subi viol ou tentative de viol semblaient avoir présenté ultérieurement une tendance à avoir plus de partenaires sexuels que les femmes qui n’avaient subi que peu ou pas d’abus sexuels. Conclusions: Les abus sexuels sur des enfants et des adolescents des deux sexe
ISSN:0145-2134
1873-7757
DOI:10.1016/S0145-2134(00)00215-5