Maternal Response in Cases of Suspected and Substantiated Child Sexual Abuse

ABSTRACT: Secondary data analysis of the Canadian Incidence Study of Reported Child Abuse and Neglect, 1998 was conducted among 373 suspected and substantiated child sexual abuse investigations for which there was a female non-offending caregiver. Bivariate analysis and hierarchical logistic regression was conducted to determine the association between caregiver, child, household, abuse, and investigation characteristics with negative maternal response. The majority of female non-offending caregivers' demonstrated belief of the sexual abuse disclosure, provided emotional support and protection from further abuse (87.1%). The overall maternal response model was significant and accounted for 40.8% of the variance (Nagelkerke R2). Predictors significantly associated with negative maternal response were caregiver mental illness, child age, sexualized behavior and developmental delay among children, duration of abuse, child's relationship to the perpetrator, and co-occurring maltreatment. Despite the number of risk factors examined, female non-offending caregivers investigated as part of the CIS-98 responded with belief of the disclosure, emotional support, and protection from further abuse.IntroductionRetrospective survey data indicates that 20-25% of women and 5-15% of men in the general population report sexual victimization as a child (Finkelhor, 1994). Considerable variability exists in the observation of abuse related psychological sequelae among survivors of CSA. While prediction of a developmental trajectory among survivors of child sexual abuse is imprecise, a constellation of risk factors have been documented. Factors that influence outcome include the duration and frequency of sexual abuse (Caffaro-Rouget, Lang, & Van-Santen, 1989; Friedrich, Urquiza, & Beilke, 1986; Kendall-Tackett, Williams & Finkelhor, 1993), relationship of the child to the perpetrator (Browne & Finkelhor, 1996; Sedney & Brooks, 1984), severity of abuse (Fergusson, Horwood, & Lynskey, 1997; Fromuth, 1986; Russell, 1986), age at onset of the abuse (Cohen & Mannarino, 1998b; Kendall-Tackett, et al., 1993), the degree of force used during the abuse (Gomes-Schwartz, Horowitz, & Cardarelli, 1990; Kendall-Tackett et al., 1993; Ruggerio, McLeer, & Kixon, 2000; Spaccarelli & Kim, 1995), number of perpetrators (Wolfe, 1998; Wolfe & Birt, 1997), and threats to the child in the context of the abuse (Friedrich, Urquiza, & Beilke, 1986). Maternal Response to CSA disclosureThe negative impact of CSA varies considerably among survivors with evidence that an asymptomatic response is not uncommon (Kendall-Tackett, Williams, & Finkelhor, 1993). The response of the non-perpetrating mother to the disclosure of child sexual abuse acts as a mediating factor in the short and long term psychological adjustment of the investigated child (Elliot & Carnes, 2001; Esparza, 1993; Everson, Hunter, Runyon, Edelsohn, & Coulter, 1989; Spaccarelli & Kim, 1995). Maternal response has been defined by CPS and reflected in the literature as: a) mother's belief of the child's disclosure, b) provision of emotional support, and c) protection from further abuse. Driven primarily by mandated CPS investigation procedures the maternal response construct has not been subjected to rigorous theoretical analysis. The absence of a fully developed theoretical formulation has inhibited the development of evidence-based best-practice guidelines for reacting to maternal response. Intervention in cases of poor maternal response has focused on identifying a constellation of risk factors associated with poor maternal response and modifying child conduct to elicit maternal belief, emotional support and protection (e.g. CBT for children and non-offending parents). Research findings estimate that positive maternal response ranges from 27%-87% among non-offending caregivers of children investigated for sexual abuse (Elliot & Carnes, 2001; Everson et al. …