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Biomedical subjects

A Bentovim

Publications and source records attributed to A Bentovim.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1992

Reliability of video taped interviews with children suspected of being sexually abused.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the reliability of judgments about the likelihood of child sexual abuse based only on video recorded interviews. DESIGN: Blinded rating of likelihood of abuse by seven professional groups and comparison with consensus rating. SETTING: Child and adolescent psychiatry centre. SUBJECTS: Four people from each of seven professional disciplines: specialist psychiatrists, general psychiatrists, experimental psychologists, trainee social workers, trainee clinical psychologists, lawyers, and police. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Rating of 12 recorded interviews. RESULTS: Agreement between the consensus panel and professional groups was 83% (151/183) for high likelihood cases (seven cases) and 89% (118/132) for low likelihood cases (five). Specialist psychiatrists and the police were better able to identify high likelihood cases than were other groups with less experience of interviewing sexually abused children (91% (48/53) v 79% (102/129); p = 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Raters could accurately distinguish children with low likelihood of abuse on interview evidence alone, but those with more experience of dealing with sexual abuse were better at identifying high likelihood cases.

Child↗
PubMed1992

The sexual abuse of male children and adolescents: a review of current research.

Inevitably, in a wide ranging review, there will be some important omissions. The main difficulties in assessing the available information have been the lack, in so many studies, of analysis along gender lines, the lack of control groups, and, in many instances, too small sample size. Despite these limitations there has, over the past decade, been an upsurge of interest in and awareness of the significance of the sexual abuse of boys. It permits us to identify a number of important trends and to draw certain conclusions. Firstly, the scale of the sexual abuse of boys is much greater than was believed 10 years ago. There is no reason to think this is simply an artifact of definition, or information gathering, or indeed of an increased willingness to recognize abusive behaviour between children, even though these will all have an effect. Whilst the trend is clear, the actual prevalence rate is difficult to determine, with a reported range of between 3% and 31%. A current 'best guess' suggests contact abuse in the range of 2-5% in the male population. As each study controls for its own definition of abuse, the narrowing in the ratio of boys to girls abused can be accepted as quite reliable, and additional evidence of a delayed recognition effect. Retrospective community evidence shows 1 boy is abused for every 2-4 girls abused. In contrast, the highest clinical ratios are for 1 boy to every 4 girls. Those who work with runaways, male child prostitutes, or child and adolescent psychiatric inpatient units appear particularly likely to encounter abused boys. Secondly, a variety of explanations have been advanced to explain the apparent under-reporting or under-detection of the sexual abuse of boys. Prominent among them have been the boy's fears of disbelief and of being labelled homosexual. Police patterns of reporting extra-familial abuse may mask its extent from protection or health agencies, which is important because extra-familial abuse does appear to be more common in boys, especially older boys, than girls. Although there has been some diminution of the cultural denial that girls can be abused, a parallel decrease of denial regarding boys has lagged behind. This is particularly true of father-son and of the much less common mother-son abuse. It is plausible that certain 'alertors' are more relevant for boys. The recent development of aggressive behaviour, homophobic anxiety, co-abuse of a sibling and abusing behaviour in particular deserve consideration.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Adolescent↗
PubMed1990

Self hypnotherapeutic treatment of habitual reflex vomiting.

A 9 year old boy with intractable postprandial reflex vomiting was taught a self hypnotherapy technique incorporating relaxation exercises, mental imagery, and suggestions of symptom relief. The sequence was recorded on a personal stereo cassette tape. Vomiting was completely eliminated within four weeks. At 12 month review vomiting had not recurred.

Child↗
PubMed1987

Child sexual abuse--children and families referred to a treatment project and the effects of intervention.

The characteristics of a series of 274 families who were referred to a sexual abuse treatment programme were analysed. Information was obtained on 411 abused children and 362 non-abused children. Different forms of sexual abuse were noted, with 77% of girls and 23% of boys affected. Boys tended to be abused at a younger age, more severely, and for longer periods than girls. There was a predominance of lower social class groups among the parents, and a wide variety of family structures, with reasonable stability over time. Ninety six per cent of perpetrators were men, and biological and step-parents predominated. Contributing factors in both the family history and the current perpetrators and their wives included sexual abuse, violence, chaotic families, marital problems, sexual difficulties, alcoholism, and subnormality. Follow up of 120 families, 180 victims, and 226 siblings showed that prosecution occurred in 60% of cases, with a high percentage of perpetrators being imprisoned. Treatment was offered to 87% of families, but because the treatment programme was in the early stages of development a variable number of children and parents were offered family treatment or treatment in groups for parents and children separately. There was an improvement in the victim's circumstances in 61% of cases, and a noticeable reduction in "sexualised" and general emotional difficulties among victims, but there was reabuse rate of 16%. Protection of children was achieved through changes of family attitude and changes in family structure including divorce and separation: 14% of victims were rehabilitated to both parents, 33% to mothers only, and 26% to new families or other residences. Consensus in the family that abuse had occurred was seen as an important factor in determining which children could be rehabilitated with both their parents, with their mothers only, or with new families; which families could be offered or accepted treatment; and whether positive changes in the family occurred.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1984

Therapeutic approach to sexual abuse.

An account is given of the development of a treatment project for sexually abused children and their families. We review incidence data which indicate that sexual abuse of children is likely to be a far more frequent problem than has been recognised and cause an appreciable degree of psychological damage. Professional responses to this are confused and treatment facilities limited. Sexual abuse is seen as an expression of severe relationship problems in the family and therapeutic provision is made, therefore, not only for the abused child but for other members of the family (including both parents). The method adopted is to offer group therapy to the child, mother, and father and regular family meetings with professionals in the community, concerned with care and protection of children. Clinical data on the first 56 children treated are discussed and our approach to treatment is evaluated.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1983

Sexual abuse of children in the United Kingdom.

Questionnaires were circulated to 1,599 family doctors, police surgeons, paediatricians, and child psychiatrists to determine the frequency and nature of child sexual abuse in the United Kingdom. At least three per 1,000 children are currently being recognized as sexually abused sometime during their childhood. The majority of cases reported involved actual or attempted intercourse, and 74% of the perpetrators were known to the child. Family disturbance was noted in 56% of the cases. The most common outcome (43%) was criminal prosecution of the perpetrator. Area Review Committees had no clear policy for the management of sexual abuse. Before it is possible to protect children and to develop therapeutic services for the family, it will be necessary to acknowledge that sexual abuse is part of the child abuse spectrum.

Adolescent↗