Nolan, Margretta; O'Flaherty, Anne; Turner, Rhonda; Keary, Kay; Fitzpatrick, Carol; Carr, Alan2013-10-012013-10-012002Nolan, Margretta; O'Flaherty, Anne; Turner, Rhonda; Keary, Kay; Fitzpatrick, Carol; Carr, Alan. (2002). Profiles of child sexual abuse cases in Ireland: an archival study. Child Abuse and Neglect, 26(4), 333-348.https://researchrepository.ucd.ie/bitstream/10197/5287/1/CSA_profiles_2002x_.pdfObjective: This study aimed to profile subgroups of CSA cases referred for assessment at two national CSA assessment centres in Ireland. Method: Historical and clinical data for 150 CSA cases were drawn from records of two Dublin based national specialist sexual abuse assessment and therapeutic centres. Three main comparisons were made involving (1) 113 confirmed CSA cases and 37 unconfirmed CSA cases; (2) 55 confirmed CSA cases who displayed clinically significant behaviour problems and the 56 confirmed CSA cases without significant adjustment difficulties; and (3) 19 confirmed CSA cases in which violence was a central feature and 79 confirmed cases in which violence was not a central feature. Results: There were three main findings. (1) More unconfirmed cases were male; had single or separated parents; and a father with a criminal history. As a group, the confirmed cases were largely youngsters who had been abused by male adults or adolescents outside their nuclear family and who subsequently were well supported by one or two parents. (2) Poorly adjusted CSA victims had a history of coercive violent abuse while better-adjusted children were victims of non-violent abuse. (3) Victims of violent CSA were more likely to have experienced penetrative abuse and to display more externalizing behaviour problems. Conclusions: Confirmed and unconfirmed CSA cases; well and poorly adjusted CSA cases; and victims of violent and non-violent CSA referred for assessment at two national CSA assessment centre in Ireland had distinctive clinical profiles. (Author Abstract)otherchild abuseSubstantiated casessexual abuseInternational ResourcesPhysical AbusePsychological EffectsAggregated DataInternationalIrelandArticle