Child Sexual Abuse, Distress, and Risk Behaviors among the Incarcerated Boys in China

• In Event: Crime and Victimization in Various Cultural Contexts

Abstract

Child sexual abuse (CSA) experience may exert a negative impact on youth mental health and cause behavioral problem. Among those suffering CSA, the incarcerated juveniles might be the most vulnerable group. Although an increasing amount of research investigates CSA experience, no study has explored the issue among the delinquent boys in the juvenile correctional setting in China. The present study attempts to fill the gap using a sample of more than 350 delinquent boys serving time in a provincial juvenile reformatory in south China. The present study aims to (1) investigate prevalence of CSA among juvenile offenders; (2) explore the relationship between CSA and distress; and (3) study the relationship between CSA, distress and juvenile risk behaviors after controlling for juvenile’s demographic and family characteristics. Implications of the findings will be discussed as well.

Authors

• Ruohui Zhao, University of Macau

• Hongwei Zhang, Guangxi University

• Jihong Solomon Zhao, Sam Houston State University

• Ling Ren, Sam Houston State University