title: Profiles of child sexual abuse cases in Ireland: an archival study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study aimed to profile subgroups of CSA cases referred for assessment at two national CSA assessment centers in Ireland.
  
  
  METHODS
  Historical and clinical data for 150 CSA cases were drawn from records of two Dublin-based national specialist sexual abuse assessment and therapeutic centers. Three main comparisons were made involving: (1) 113 confirmed CSA cases and 37 unconfirmed CSA cases, (2) 55 confirmed CSA cases that displayed clinically significant behavior 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 nonviolent abuse. (3) Victims of violent CSA were more likely to have experienced penetrative abuse and to display more externalizing behavior problems.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Confirmed and unconfirmed CSA cases, well and poorly adjusted CSA cases, and victims of violent and nonviolent CSA referred for assessment at two national CSA assessment centers in Ireland had distinctive clinical profiles.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Midland Health Board, Tullamore, Co., Offaly, Ireland.
authors.forename: Margretta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nolan
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: O'Flaherty
authors.forename: Rhonda
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Turner
authors.forename: Kay
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Keary
authors.forename: Carol
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fitzpatrick
authors.forename: Alan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Carr
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002650:Child Abuse, Sexual / Q000145:classification / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002653:Child Behavior Disorders / Q000145:classification / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003710:Demography; D017579:Domestic Violence / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005220:Fathers / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007494:Ireland / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008499:Medical Records; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012650:Self Disclosure; D012737:Sex Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors