Psychiatric Impact of Organized and Ritual Child Sexual Abuse: Cross-Sectional Findings from Individuals Who Report Being Victimized
Date
2018
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
International journal of environmental research and public health
Abstract
Organized and ritual child sexual abuse (ORA) is often rooted in the child’s own family.
Empirical evidence on possible associations between ORA and trauma-related symptoms in those
who report this kind of extreme and prolonged violence is rare. The aim of our study was to explore
socio-demographic and clinical characteristics of the individuals reporting ORA experiences, and
to investigate protective as well as promotive factors in the link between ORA and trauma-related
symptom severity. Within the framework of a project of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual
Abuse in Germany, we recruited 165 adults who identified themselves as ORA victims via abuseand
trauma-specific networks and mailing lists, and they completed an anonymous online survey.
We used variance analyses to examine correlations between several variables in the ORA context
and PTSD symptoms (PCL-5) as well as somatoform dissociation (SDQ-5). Results revealed a high
psychic strain combined with an adverse health care situation in individuals who report experiences
with ORA. Ideological strategies used by perpetrators as well as Dissociative Identity Disorders
experienced by those affected are associated with more severe symptoms ( 2
p = 0.11; 2
p = 0.15),
while an exit out of the ORA structures is associated with milder symptoms ( 2
p = 0.11). Efforts
are needed to improve health care services for individuals who experience severe and complex
psychiatric disorders due to ORA in their childhood.
Description
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Article
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Keywords
child sexual abuse, family violence, organized abuse, ritual abuse, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), dissociative identity disorder, somatoform dissociation, child maltreatment, Germany, International Resources
Citation
Schröder, J., Nick, S., Richter-Appelt, H., & Briken, P. (2018). Psychiatric Impact of Organized and Ritual Child Sexual Abuse: Cross-Sectional Findings from Individuals Who Report Being Victimized. International journal of environmental research and public health, 15(11), 2417.