Is child sexual abuse declining in Canada? Results from nationally representative retrospective surveys

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dc.contributor.authorShields, M., Tonmyr, L., & Hovdestad, W.
dc.date.accessioned2016-11-22T15:04:36Z
dc.date.available2016-11-22T15:04:36Z
dc.date.issued2016
dc.description.abstractNumerous data sources suggest a decline in child sexual abuse (CSA) in the United States since the early 1990s. Some evidence also indicates that an earlier period of higher CSA incidence began following World War II. This study examines prevalence estimates of sexual abuse reported retrospectively as having occurred in childhood (ChSA) in two nationally representative surveys of the Canadian population. Data are from 13 931 respondents aged 18 to 76 years from the 2004/2005 Canadian Gender, Alcohol, and Culture: An International Study (GENACIS), and from 22 169 household residents aged 18 years or older who participated in the 2012 Canadian Community Health Survey–Mental Health (CCHS-MH). We present inter- and intrasurvey comparisons of ChSA prevalence specific to sex and age groups. Results: Findings from both surveys suggest a decline in CSA since 1993, consistent with declines observed in the United States. Results also suggest that 1946 to 1992 was a period of higher risk of CSA, relative to the period before 1946. The evidence was more robust for women. Evidence of a decline in CSA in Canada since the early 1990s is encouraging, given the long-term debilitating effects with which it is associated. Continued monitoring is critical. The long-term negative effects associated with CSA underscore the importance of continuing to move from lower risk to zero risk.en_US
dc.identifier.citationShields, M., Tonmyr, L., & Hovdestad, W. Is child sexual abuse declining in Canada? Results from nationally representative retrospective surveys. Health Promotion and Chronic Disease Prevention in Canada Research, Policy and Practice, 36(11), 9 pp.en_US
dc.identifier.urihttp://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/publicat/hpcdp-pspmc/36-11/assets/pdf/ar-03-eng.pdf
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11212/3052
dc.language.isoenen_US
dc.publisherHealth Promotion and Chronic Disease Prevention in Canada Research, Policy and Practiceen_US
dc.subjectchild abuseen_US
dc.subjectprevalenceen_US
dc.subjectstatisticsen_US
dc.subjectCanadaen_US
dc.subjectInternational Resourcesen_US
dc.titleIs child sexual abuse declining in Canada? Results from nationally representative retrospective surveysen_US
dc.typeArticleen_US

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