title: [Sexual abuse of children and adolescents: characteristics of sexual victimization in family relations].
abstract: This study analyzes the characteristics of sexual abuse committed within the family against age groups classified according to the Brazilian Statute for Children and Adolescents (the prevailing legislation on matters pertaining to minors) and treated at the Reference Center for Children and Adolescents and the Guardianship Councils in Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo State, Brazil, from 1995 to 2000. Some 234 abuses were identified, committed by 217 aggressors, against 210 families and a total of 226 victims. A total of 131 children (48.7%) and 95 adolescents (41.2%), predominantly females, were victimized. Children ranging from 10 to 12 years were the most frequently abused (19.5%), as well as adolescents from 12 to 14 years old (17.3%). The majority of the victims live in families with 3 (19.9%) or 4 children (177%), and the firstborn are the most frequently abused (33.6%). The majority of aggressors who acted alone victimized only one individual (86.7%). Fathers (34.2%) and stepfathers (30.3%) were the most frequent aggressors, with the former victimizing more children (19.7%) and the latter adolescents (17.1%).
authors.affiliation: Centro de Referência da Criança e do Adolescente, Ribeirão Preto, Brasil.
authors.forename: Márcia Aparecida
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Ribeiro
authors.forename: Maria das Graças Carvalho
authors.initials: Md
authors.lastname: Ferriani
authors.forename: Jair Naves dos
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Reis
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D017677:Age Distribution; D002648:Child; D002650:Child Abuse, Sexual / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002651:Child Advocacy / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D002675:Child, Preschool; D019548:Crime Victims / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005191:Family Characteristics; D005195:Family Relations; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D017678:Sex Distribution