Child Sexual Abuse : Risk Assessment

by Child Welfare Information Gateway

(Page 4 of 4)

If it is determined by CPS or law enforcement that a child has been sexually abused, the case is one of intrafamilial abuse, and the child is at home, then it is necessary to make a determination of risk to the child if she/he stays in that environment. Following are three types of potential risk:

• Risk of additional sexual abuse
• Risk of physical abuse
• Risk of emotional maltreatment

Types of Emotional Risk

In most instances, the child is at greater risk for emotional maltreatment than additional sexual abuse immediately after disclosure. There are a variety of types of emotional abuse the victim may suffer.

The child may be disbelieved by her/his mother, siblings, and/or extended family.

The child may be blamed for the sexual abuse. She/he may be told she/he was seductive. The child may believe she/he allowed it because she/he got special favors from the offender.

The child may be rejected by her/his family. Mother is angry at her/him. The child's siblings are angry because she/he has caused them embarrassment and loss of their father.

The child may be blamed for the consequences of disclosure. Because she/he told, the father is going to have to leave the home, going to lose his job, going to jail. Now the mother will have to divorce the father. Now the family has to go on public assistance.

The child may be pressured to recant.

Factors To Consider in Risk Assessment

If professionals determine that the child is at risk for future sexual, physical, or emotional maltreatment, then some plan should be made to protect her/him. Making a determination of risk is no easy task. Families may be quite secretive. Furthermore, decisions may need to be made on an emergency basis without complete information. Nevertheless, the following factors need to be considered:

Type(s) of sexual abuse. The more intrusive the sexual acts and the greater the number of types of sexual activity, generally the riskier the situation. However, risk in situations involving "just" fondling should not be minimized.

Characteristics of the abuse situation. Relevant characteristics are frequency of sexual activity, its duration, the presence or absence of force, and the use of threats. The more frequent and the longer the abuse has gone on, the harder it will be for the offender to refrain. The use of force and threats also signals increased risk. If the threats are manipulative, such as "You'll break up the family if you tell," the risk is for emotional maltreatment. If the threats are of bodily harm, then the risk is for physical abuse.

Victim age. Generally, younger victims are more vulnerable than older ones.

Relationship between victim and offender. As a rule, the greater the degree of relatedness, the greater the risk, especially for emotional abuse. Further, an offender who lives with the family poses a greater threat for sexual and emotional abuse than one outside the family.

Number of victims. The more children the offender has sexually abused, the greater difficulty he will have controlling his sexual behavior.

Number of offenders. Multiple offenders, especially if they are all within the family, mean the family provides a very risky environment.

Reactions and functioning of the nonoffending parent. As noted earlier, factors include the mother's reaction to knowledge of the sexual abuse, her relationship with the victim, and her level of dependency on the offender. If she disbelieves the child, is unwilling to attend to the child's best interest, has a poor relationship with the child, or is dependent on the offender, then the child is at risk for emotional abuse and perhaps additional sexual abuse in the home.

Reaction of the offender. As noted earlier, a confession, while unlikely, would mean less risk for the victim. Greater risk exists if the alleged offender denies the sexual abuse, especially if he blames the victim for disclosure. In either case, the offender's continued presence in the home poses a greater risk of abuse and emotional maltreatment.

The presence of other problems in family functioning. These problems might include substance abuse, family violence, both spouse abuse and child abuse, mental illness, and mental retardation. Their effect depends on how many of these problems exist in the family, who has the problem, and the severity of the problem. However, their presence generally increases risk to the victim.

The choices are generally two - remove the offender or remove the victim. There is professional agreement that removal of the offender is preferable. Even though this strategy may not be as certain in preventing additional sexual, physical, and emotional abuse, it has the considerable advantage of providing a clear message to the victim, the offender, and the family that he is the person who has done something wrong and that this is serious.

If he is denying the abuse, the offender's removal minimizes challenges to the child's sense of reality and anxiety about whether he/she or the offender will be believed. Even if the offender admits and is willing to seek treatment, he should be asked or ordered to leave until a clinical decision is made that he should return. This action decreases opportunities for the offender to minimize the abuse and to manipulate the child and other family members into feeling sorry for him, placing responsibility for his abusive behavior on others or circumstances, and minimizing the damage to himself.

However, an additional condition for keeping the victim in the home and removing the offender is the mother's support of the child, her ability to resist pressures from the offender, and her more general ability to handle stress related to sexual abuse and its disclosure. Finally, if the victim wants to be removed, this wish should be honored.

About the Author

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Formerly the National Clearinghouse on Child Abuse and Neglect Information and the National Adoption Information Clearinghouse, Child Welfare Information Gateway provides access to information and resources to help protect children and strengthen families. A service of the Children's Bureau, Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.