1. Objectifs

Intentions :
This study aimed to analyse the risk factors associated with greater variety and severity of sexual behavior problems (SBP) among school-aged children. «[M]ore specifically the study focused on the influence of externalizing behaviors and non-sexual victimization experiences.» (p. 8) The psychological distress of the parents and their socioeconomic status are also taken into account in this research.

2. Méthode

Échantillon/Matériau :
«The sample is composed of adult-child dyads who completed an assessment with a clinician for the SBP of the child in a specialized therapeutic center in Montréal, Québec, between 2006 and 2010. Participants were in the vast majority referred by youth protection services. […] The final sample is composed of 88 dyads of children aged 6–13 years old […] and one accompanying adult (80.7% women; M=38.6 years […]).» (p. 4)

Instruments :
Questionnaires

Type de traitement des données :
Analyse statistique

3. Résumé

Results reveal that «the presence of externalizing behavior problems is the most important factor to consider with regards to both variety and severity of SBP […]. [Moreover], the cumulative stress dimension (i.e., socioeconomic status and parent psychological distress) was not associated with the variety or severity of SBP. […] Based on the fact that [the] sample is highly exposed to family violence […] and other forms of victimization experiences, externalizing behaviors and SBP may serve as coping mechanisms to prevent children from being in contact with emotional distress. […] The absence of association between cumulative stress (i.e., parent psychological distress, socioeconomic status) and sexual behaviors in the sample contrasts with the findings […] who concluded that the stressors affecting parents to provide optimal care for their child was a dimension to consider regarding the emergence of SBP in school-aged children. [The authors’] conception of the dimension of parental stressors may be limited since [they] did not consider the cumulative effect of all parental stress indicators that would have been relevant to evaluate in this study (e.g., negative life events). Furthermore, this nonsignificant association with parent psychological distress and socioeconomic status may also be due to sampling bias. Indeed, […] the adults must have been relatively supportive for children and sufficiently well equipped to seek help and participate in a psychotherapy in order to help the child.» (p. 8)