1. Objectifs

Intentions :
«The present study aims at examining the associations among CSA [child sexual abuse], ER [emotion regulation], and internalized and externalized behavior problems in preschoolers.» (p.16)

2. Méthode

Échantillon/Matériau :
«For the purpose of this study 127 French-speaking children aged 3½–6½ years old (41–79 months; M = 57.1 months; SD = 10.1) and their parents (93% mothers; non-abusive parents in the CSA group) were recruited.» (p. 18)

Instruments :
Questionnaires

Type de traitement des données :
Analyse statistique

3. Résumé

«ER competencies were found to partially explain the relation between CSA and externalized behavior problems and entirely explain the relation between CSA and internalized behavior problems. Similar results were reported in studies including school-aged maltreated children (Alink et al., 2009; Kim & Cicchetti, 2010), with an indication that attachment security might be a relevant variable to consider in order to strengthen the mediation effect of ER regarding externalized behavior problems. One study exploring internalized behavior problems in a preschool-aged sample also reported results similar to our findings (Maughan & Cicchetti, 2002). […] Yet, they further our understanding of the association among these variables by showing that although CSA is a distinctive form of maltreatment, it has the same indirect effect on behavior problems through ER than other maltreatment subtypes. Moreover, this mediation effect is found in children as young as 3–6 years old, not only in school-aged children. Child gender was also found to moderate the association between CSA and ER as assessed by parents, but not educators. Parents reported lower ER competencies in boys than in girls but only in the CSA group. Educators reported lower ER competencies in both abused and non-abused boys compared to girls, with a slightly larger difference in the CSA group than in the comparison group.» (p. 24)