title: Caregiver-youth communication about sex in South Africa: the role of maternal child sexual abuse history.
abstract: Much of the research on child sexual abuse focuses on negative outcomes. This brief report explores a potentially protective parenting behavior among black South African female caregivers with and without a child sexual abuse history. Using cross-sectional baseline data, we hypothesized that caregiver child sexual abuse history would be positively associated with caregiver-youth sex communication and this relationship would be strongest for girls. Youth whose caregiver experienced child sexual abuse were more likely to report communicating with their caregiver about sex than youth whose caregivers did not experience child sexual abuse; however, this relation did not hold for caregiver reported communication. Child sexual abuse survivors' ability and decision to discuss sex with their youth has the potential to protect youth from sexual risk and demonstrates resilience among a group rarely acknowledged for positive parenting practices.
authors.affiliation: a Case Western Reserve University , Cleveland , Ohio , USA.
authors.forename: Elizabeth R
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Anthony
authors.forename: Tracy N
authors.initials: TN
authors.lastname: Hipp
authors.forename: Doyanne A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Darnell
authors.forename: Lisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Armistead
authors.forename: Sarah L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Cook
authors.forename: Donald
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Skinner
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D054523:Adult Survivors of Child Abuse / Q000523:psychology*; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D002648:Child; D002650:Child Abuse, Sexual / Q000523:psychology*; D003142:Communication; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005190:Family / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016487:Parenting / Q000523:psychology; D012736:Sex Education; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D013019:South Africa
keywords: HIV prevention; South Africa; child sexual abuse; parenting; parent–child communication; sexual risk behavior; youth