RESUMO
Child sexual abuse (CSA) is a terrible type of maltreatment that occurs in all countries and social statuses, but due to the shame and taboo that it creates, it is still riddled with myths and false beliefs that make it difficult for the population and the authorities to adequately determine its prevalence. The objective of this work was to explore what Mexican women know about CSA. The participants were Mexican women (N = 499) who filled out a questionnaire comprising ten items referring to truths and myths about CSA, indicating their degree of agreement with them on a Likert scale. The results showed that although Mexican women have quite adequate knowledge about CSA, they still hold wrong beliefs about the child's feelings toward the abuser or the child victim becoming an adult abuser. Likewise, differences were found in the myths and truths about CSA held by women under 40 and over 40 years of age.
Assuntos
Abuso Sexual na Infância , Maus-Tratos Infantis , Adulto , Criança , Feminino , Humanos , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Prevalência , Vergonha , Inquéritos e QuestionáriosRESUMO
Child sexual abuse (CSA) is a type of maltreatment that occurs in practically all countries and social statuses. Due to the taboo and shame that surrounds it, CSA is a problem universally silenced despite the important consequences (both physical and psychological) that it has for the victim and their family. This work aimed to study the correlates of CSA in Mexican women. Our sample comprised 1058 women ranged from 18 to 73 years (M = 40.19; SD = 10.24). They completed an anonymous online survey including questions about all the different types of abuse, questions about who perpetrated it, at what age it happened, and whether the victim disclosed the abuse. Our results showed that, depending on the type of abuse, from 13.9% to 65.8% of the participants had suffered at least one episode of CSA throughout their childhood. The first episode typically occurred between 6 and 12 years old, with the perpetrator being a male. The youngest women reported higher rates of being shown pornography by a family member, whereas the oldest ones reported higher rates of exhibitionism by a stranger. Only 31.3% of the sample disclosed the abuse, usually to their mother or a peer. Differences among the correlates of the different types of abuse, the age of the victims, and the relationship with the perpetrator are discussed as well as the victims' feelings of being believed when they disclosed the abuse.