Abstract

OCHOA, Miguel Enrique; ARTEAGA, Juan; CONTRERAS, Leddy Marina  and  OROZCO, Luis Carlos. Posttraumatic stress disorder and sexual abuse: Descriptive Study in Informing victims, Bucaramanga, Colombia 2007-2008. Rev. Univ. Ind. Santander. Salud [online]. 2010, vol.42, n.1, pp.25-33. ISSN 0121-0807.

Introduction: Posttraumatic stress disorder is the principal psychological diagnosis in sexual abuse victims. Although its significant associations with victims age and gender, parental relationship with the aggressor and the type of sexual intercourse, the evidence regarding the effect of the majority of risk factors is still controversial. This first-step study describes these characteristics in a complainant population with and without the disorder. Methods: Descriptive study in 175 victims of sexual abuse evaluated in a local forensic institute within a one-year period. Tendency and proportional measures were assessed. Results: The majority of victims were women between 5 through 14 years. 79% of them had middle and low social status. Only the third part of abuses was reported since the first episode. 88% of victims were minors. 95% of the perpetrators were family members or acquaintances. About a half of the events included penetrative abuse. Forty percent of cases had posttraumatic stress disorder. Discussion: Sexual abuse in our population is mainly reported by child and teenage females. Usually is done by a single aggressor, rather a family friend or relative than a stranger. Consistently with other findings, the phenomenon tends to be chronic and causes psychopathology in more than a third of the victims. These findings are only applicable to analogous informing populations. Salud UIS 2010; 42: 25-33.

Keywords : Posttraumatic stress disorder; sexual abuse; descriptive studies; forensic psychiatry; social conditions.

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