Family interactions of adolescent victims of sexual abuse - Data and Code

Context:Even if Child Sexual Abuse (CSA) is frequently reported in childhood and adolescent, familial environment of these patients is rarely precisely examined.Objective:The main objective of our study is to describe the family interactions of adolescents who are victims of CSA, and then, to explore the differences in family profiles based on the existence of incestuous acts and/or to incestuous climate.Methods:This study was conducted with 425 adolescents aged 13 to 19 years, hospitalized in a psychiatric unit over the past four years, among which 107 reported CSA, including 39 intrafamilial and 45 extrafamilial CSA. An incestuous climate was observed in 72 families. Intrafamilial and extrafamilial CSA, as well as the incestuous climate, were the basis of a between-group comparison of DSM-V psychiatric disorders and family interactions, as measured by the At-Risk Family Interactions and Levers scale (ARFIL).Results:Families where CSA was identified among adolescents were more characterized by interactions of rejection (emotional coldness, devaluation, abandonment, etc.) and by a lack of family cohesion. Intrafamilial CSA was distinguished from extrafamilial CSA by the presence of an incestuous climate and a traumatic context. The risk of detecting intrafamilial CSA in an incestuous environment within the family was estimated at 4 (RR=4.09).Conclusion:These results suggest observation of family interactions using the ARFIL scale provide both an aid to the detection of CSA and a therapeutic lever for the management of these situations. In particular, identifying incestuous climate within families provides insights for improving the screening of adolescents who are victims of CSA. Family interactions should be systematically explored during medical care of adolescents and children.