U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government, Department of Justice.

NCJRS Virtual Library

The Virtual Library houses over 235,000 criminal justice resources, including all known OJP works.
Click here to search the NCJRS Virtual Library

SEXUAL AND PHYSICAL ABUSE: THE ADOLESCENT SEXUAL CONCERN QUESTIONNAIRE (ASC) (FROM HANDBOOK FOR SCREENING ADOLESCENTS AT PSYCHOSOCIAL RISK, P 131-163, 1993, MARK I SINGER, LYNN T SINGER, ET AL., EDS - SEE NCJ 143322)

NCJ Number
143324
Author(s)
D Hussey; M I Singer
Date Published
1993
Length
23 pages
Annotation
This paper explains the nature, incidence, and causes of adolescent abuse and presents a structured interview format for use by mental health professionals and others in interviewing adolescents regarding issues of sexual and physical abuse.
Abstract
Child abuse is caused by a variety of factors that vary in individual cases. The three conceptual frameworks that aid understanding of child abuse are the psychiatric model, the sociological model, and the interactional model. The most common symptoms of abuse are direct communication or evidence, symptoms of cumulative stress, and acute trauma symptoms. Screening should be systematic, consistent, comprehensive, and documented. The authors developed the Adolescent Sexual Concern Questionnaire to help detect sexual and physical abuse. It is designed for use in a structured interview by a professional familiar with the dynamics of sexual abuse and comfortable with discussing sexuality issues. A variety of treatment approaches are available. The two kinds that might be particularly useful with adolescents are group therapy and the use of creative media such as art and music. Copies of screening instrument and 57 references