ABSTRACT Community engagement is a cornerstone of effective and fiscally responsible public health initiatives, especially in the prevention of child sexual abuse (CSA). It helps to ensure the voices, experiences, and perspectives of those directly affected by CSA prevention are central to research processes. This approach promotes collaboration, trust, and shared decision-making, leading to the development of programs and policies that are responsive to community needs and, therefore, more likely to succeed. This brief report synthesizes the community engagement experiences and lessons learned across nine Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)-funded projects focused on the primary prevention of CSA. CDC and CDC Foundation scientific collaborators discussed community engagement with principal investigators (PIs) and project team members during ongoing project monitoring. These informal conversations provided insights into perspectives and strategies for community engagement, as well as the challenges and considerations for engaging communities in prevention research. Detailed notes were taken and compiled to describe these experiences. Findings offer a range of examples of community engagement practices employed by CDC’s CSA portfolio recipients and provide insight into lessons learned for researchers and practitioners aiming to strengthen community partnerships in CSA prevention.

ABSTRACT Women with multi-gender attractions (i.e. bisexual+ women) experience alarmingly high rates of sexual violence (SV), which puts women at risk for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Bisexual+ women experience higher rates of PTSD compared to heterosexual and lesbian/gay people. The PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5) is a widely used self-report measure of PTSD symptoms. We conducted an item response theory (IRT) analysis to evaluate the item difficulty and discrimination of PCL-5 items in assessing PTSD symptoms related to adult SV among young bisexual+ women. We combined two samples of women: sample 1 participants were recruited via MTurk (N = 267; Mage = 25.9, range 18–35; 82.4% White) and sample 2 participants recruited via online ads (N = 133; Mage = 22.0, range 18–25, 85.0% White). Item difficulty and discrimination was evaluated using IRT with a graded response model. At clinically significant levels of PTSD, the most discriminating items were: flashbacks, nightmares, reckless behavior, inability to experience positive emotions, and intrusive memories, whereas the least discriminating items were: internal avoidance, hypervigilance, difficulty with sleep, external avoidance, and exaggerated startle response. The most difficult items were: reckless behavior, flashbacks, traumatic amnesia, nightmares, and irritability, whereas the least difficult items were: internal avoidance, cued emotional distress, external avoidance, hypervigilance, and strong negative emotions. Results suggest that symptoms related to flashbacks, nightmares, and reckless behavior are important for assessing clinically significant SV-related PTSD symptoms among young bisexual+ women, whereas symptoms related to internal and external avoidance and hypervigilance may be relatively less informative.

ABSTRACT Bystanders are most frequently present prior to a sexual assault, wherein it is possible that bystanders witness sexual harassment (e.g. sexist jokes, unwanted touching). The relationship between the victim and the sex of the victim can impact bystander intervention during sexual violence. As such, the present study examines how the presence of certain types of bystanders (e.g. friends) during sexual harassment influences the likelihood of bystander intervention, and whether the gender of the victim moderates this relationship. Participants included 724 college students (78.9% female; 82.9% White; 89.4% heterosexual) ages 18 to 24 (Mage = 18.97, SDage = 1.12) who reported at least one experience of sexual harassment, the presence of a witness during sexual harassment, and indicated whether a bystander intervened. Two binomial linear regressions were conducted. Friends were less likely to intervene than roommates or family, but more likely than acquaintances or strangers. Although gender moderation was not supported, male victims reported that bystanders were less likely to intervene compared to bystanders of female victims. Consistent with previous work, the odds of bystander intervention are significantly related to the context in which sexual harassment occurs. Family members and roommates may feel a stronger sense of responsibility to intervene due to their closeness to the victim compared to other bystander types. Men who experienced sexual harassment were less likely to report bystander intervention during sexual harassment than women, which suggests barriers to helping behavior. Implications for bystander programming, clinical work, and future research are discussed.

ABSTRACT This study investigates the relationships between childhood sexual abuse (CSA), self-injurious thoughts, and behaviors within a sample exhibiting diverse identity statuses. Despite no significant correlations between identity statuses and CSA, self-injurious thoughts and behaviors were prevalent, with notable incidences in the Undefined and Arrested Moratorium statuses. The functions and triggers of self-injurious thoughts and behaviors have been analyzed, identifying significant associations with emotional states and family dynamics. Findings suggest a cyclical relationship between negative emotional states and self-harm, as illustrated by the Emotional Cascades Model. Limitations include sample size and gender representativeness, highlighting the need for further research to explore these dynamics more comprehensively, particularly regarding the role of identity and emotional regulation.

ABSTRACT The sexual double standard (SDS) refers to the differential judgment of men and women for identical sexual behaviors and has been linked to gendered sexual norms, relational expectations, and coercive dynamics. Sexual coercion, therein defined as the use of pressure, manipulation, or force to obtain unwanted sexual activity, remains a pervasive problem with significant psychological and relational consequences. Prior research suggests an overlap between victimization and perpetration, but less is known about how SDS beliefs may contribute to this cycle or whether pathways differ by gender. This study examined the relationships between SDS, sexual coercion victimization, and perpetration in an adult, heterosexual, non-student Portuguese sample (N = 351). Using moderation and conditional mediation analyses, results showed that SDS did not directly predict perpetration, but victimization mediated this relationship, explaining 52.2% of the variance in perpetration. Gender moderated this pathway: victimization more strongly predicted perpetration for men than for women. The relational norms dimension of SDS also operated differently between them – indirectly through victimization in women, but directly in men. These findings underscore the importance of considering gendered mechanisms in the victim – perpetrator cycle and highlight relational norms as a key target for interventions addressing coercive sexual behaviors.

ABSTRACT Child sexual abuse (CSA) remains a significant challenge for children in the United States. Despite this, research focused on identifying CSA among children aged 5 and under is underfunded compared to other child health issues and remains a gap in the field. This paper provides five recommendations to support early identification of CSA, including a central call for research to advance key areas such as forensic interview approaches, the use of medical histories, recognition of sexual behaviors, children’s knowledge and emotional responses, and the development of trauma-informed screening protocols. The remaining focused recommendations emphasize the need to strengthen investigative protocols, build community-research partnerships, conduct comparative analyses to identify best practices, and develop innovative strategies for translating and disseminating findings – each reinforcing and amplifying the impact of targeted research investment.

ABSTRACT The purpose of this empirical study is to examine the preparation and perceived competence of school counselors in addressing instances involving children at risk of or who are victims of child sex trafficking. This national study convenience sampled 158 self-identified school counselors using a quantitative survey inquiring into their knowledge and training pertaining to students at risk for sex trafficking. The results indicate that school counselors do not see themselves as competent nor do they have training in identifying and aiding students at risk for child sex trafficking. Since school counselors are perhaps the most easily accessible mental health professionals for children, charged with caring for and advocating for all students, they should be provided training about child sex trafficking so that they can identify and help these students.

ABSTRACT Millions of children around the globe experience abuse every year, with over a thousand children dying within the United States in 2020 alone as a result of child abuse. Child abuse can take different shapes, such as physical abuse, emotional abuse, sexual abuse, and neglect, all of which can leave a lasting impact on the victim which can alter their childhood as well as their adulthood. Two aspects of adulthood that can be impacted by childhood abuse that are addressed within this article are attachment style and sexual satisfaction. The purpose of this study was to examine the associations between childhood physical abuse, childhood sexual abuse, adult attachment, and adult sexual satisfaction. This study has accomplished this by using a mediating model with adult attachment as the mediator in a sample of 30,507 partnered adults from a cohort study. Results from the mediation analysis illustrated significant, albeit modest in size, negative links between childhood physical abuse and adult sexual satisfaction through levels of adult attachment insecurity. These results are important as they encourage clinicians to consider the indirect impact events can have on individuals, the importance of considering contextual factors, and thinking systemically when examining the connection between events and concerns our clients present us with. Analyzing and understanding these dynamics can allow clinicians to better support their clients when addressing the impacts of child abuse, insecure adult attachment, and sexual dissatisfaction in adulthood.

ABSTRACT Depression in sexually abused youth has a complex etiology involving various mechanisms related to adverse familial psychosocial factors and the severity of childhood sexual abuse (CSA). This study aimed to identify mediating mechanisms between CSA severity, adverse familial psychosocial factors and depressive symptoms in Turkish children and adolescents who have experienced sexual abuse. The files of 340 CSA cases, aged 6–18, who applied to the forensic outpatient clinic between 2014–2020 were retrospectively evaluated. Psychiatric diagnoses were made according to Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition criteria. Depressive symptoms were evaluated through clinical examinations and Children’s Depression Inventory (CDI). Sexual abuse severity was measured with the Sexual Abuse Severity Score (SASS) algorithm based on the information obtained from files. Both intrafamilial violence (IFV) (B = 2.67, 95%CI [0.56–4.77]) and chaotic family environment (CFE) (B = 2.57, 95%CI [0.43–4.72]) had significant effects on CDI scores under significant and full-mediating effects of verbal/physical coercion (B = 1.16, 95%CI [0.17–2.81] for IFV→CDI; B = 1.44, 95%CI [0.24–3.34] for CFE→CDI) and qualitative severity of sexual abuse (B = 0.91, 95%CI [0.17–2.06] for IFV→CDI; B = 1.04, 95%CI [0.14–2.44] for CFE→CDI). However, total SASS had no significant mediation in the relationship between adverse familial psychosocial factors and CDI scores. These findings provide evidence that both IFV and CFE appear to have significant associations with depressive symptoms, within the significant mediating roles of both verbal/physical coercion and qualitative severity of sexual abuse.

ABSTRACT This study assesses the impact of group therapy on young survivors of sexual abuse at a youth clinic in Sweden, focusing on self-reported outcomes and implications for primary health care. Interviews with 12 female participants aged 17–24 provided insights into the benefits of group therapy, including reduced feelings of loneliness and shame, enhanced understanding of abuse reactions and trajectories, and improved coping mechanisms. The findings support integrating group therapy into primary care settings alongside individual counseling, emphasizing the need for accessible, youth-oriented services with robust referral systems to effectively address the comprehensive psychosocial and health needs of young survivors.