title: Effects of context and question type on endorsement of childhood sexual abuse.
abstract: Use of contextual information and behaviorally specific questions have been found to detect higher rates of child sexual abuse (CSA); however, no study has examined the use of contextual information or question type within 1 study. This study examined 236 college students randomly assigned to 1 of 4 conditions: noncontext/label questions, noncontext/specific questions, context/label questions, context/specific questions. Reported history of CSA did not differ across presentation of videotaped contextual information. However, respondents endorsed behaviorally specific questions significantly more (32%) than label questions (9%). Results suggest that researchers and clinicians attempting to detect childhood victimization history should utilize multiple behaviorally specific screening questions.
authors.affiliation: Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina 29425, USA.
authors.forename: Adrienne E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Fricker
authors.forename: Daniel W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: Joanne L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Davis
authors.forename: Rochelle F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Hanson
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002650:Child Abuse, Sexual / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D019548:Crime Victims / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008487:Medical History Taking; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014342:Truth Disclosure