title: Parent-Child Interaction Therapy for sexual concerns of maltreated children: A preliminary investigation.
abstract: The current study examines whether an evidence-based treatment for externalizing behavior problems may reduce sexual concerns among children with maltreatment histories. An archival analysis identified 44 children between the ages of 3 and 8 exhibiting externalizing problems and co-morbid sexual concerns who were treated using Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT). A second group of children receiving PCIT for externalizing behaviors without sexual concerns was included for comparison purposes (n=143). Wilcoxon Signed-Ranks Tests indicated significant improvement among the group with sexual concerns, with 63.6% of children no longer displaying clinically significant sexual concerns at post-treatment. In addition, these children showed a decline in general externalizing problems comparable to that observed among the group of children receiving PCIT and not displaying sexual concerns. Lastly, logistic regression analyses showed that pre-treatment posttraumatic stress scores did not moderate improvement of sexual concerns, suggesting that posttraumatic stress-related sexual concerns may improve from PCIT treatment. These findings suggest that evidence-based parent training interventions, specifically PCIT, may successfully reduce sexual concerns among children who experienced maltreatment.
authors.affiliation: Penn State Hershey Children's Hospital, Hershey, PA, USA. Electronic address: ballen1@hmc.psu.edu.
authors.forename: Brian
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Allen
authors.affiliation: UC Davis Children's Hospital, Sacramento, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Susan G
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Timmer
authors.affiliation: UC Davis Children's Hospital, Sacramento, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Anthony J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Urquiza
mesh_terms: D002649:Child Abuse / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D002650:Child Abuse, Sexual / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005196:Family Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000523:psychology*
keywords: Externalizing problems; Parent–Child Interaction Therapy; Posttraumatic stress; Sexual abuse; Sexual behavior; Sexual concerns