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Perpetrator Status and the Personality Characteristics of Molested Children

NCJ Number
127728
Journal
Child Abuse and Neglect Volume: 14 Issue: 4 Dated: (1990) Pages: 555-566
Author(s)
S M Basta; R F Peterson
Date Published
1990
Length
12 pages
Annotation
The personality and intellectual characteristics of molested and nonmolested children were evaluated using the Personality Inventory for Children (PIC), the Children's Personality Questionnaire (CPQ), and the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC-R).
Abstract
Forty-eight children were divided into three groups; teacher molested, family molested, and a control group of nonmolested children. There were eight boys and eight girls in each group. The children in the first group (teacher molested) were molested by a single perpetrator, whereas 18 offenders were involved with the second group (family molested). Results show that there is a lack of major personality, intellectual, and psychopathological differences between the two groups. This implies that the source of abuse is relatively unimportant or that the trauma which results from sexual molestation could be due to sexual abuse per se, regardless of the relationship between the child and the offender. 2 figures, 7 tables, and 21 references (Author abstract modified)