Search

Child sexual abuse (CSA) is a terrible type of maltreatment that occurs in all countries and social statuses, but due to the shame and taboo that it creates, it is still riddled with myths and false beliefs that make it difficult for the population and the authorities to adequately determine its prevalence. The objective of this work was to explore what Mexican women know about CSA. The participants were Mexican women (N = 499) who filled out a questionnaire comprising ten items referring to truths and myths about CSA, indicating their degree of agreement with them on a Likert scale. The results showed that although Mexican women have quite adequate knowledge about CSA, they still hold wrong beliefs about the child's feelings toward the abuser or the child victim becoming an adult abuser. Likewise, differences were found in the myths and truths about CSA held by women under 40 and over 40 years of age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Child sexual abuse (CSA) is a terrible type of maltreatment that can have serious physical and psychological consequences for victims. These consequences include shame and are often taboo in conversation, which makes CSA very difficult to see. Therefore, multiple myths exist about CSA that can lead to misperceptions regarding issues such as its context, prevalence, and consequences. What is unknown cannot be addressed; therefore, the aim of this work was to investigate Spanish participants' knowledge about CSA as well as examine gender and educational level differences. A 10-item questionnaire comprising myths and truths about CSA was developed, taking into account existing literature. Participants (N = 1,540) had to rate their level of agreement with the statements. Some important aspects of CSA remain unclear, particularly in terms of the background of the victims (e.g., gender, educational level, CSA prevalence). Significant differences in the perception of CSA between men and women and among those with various educational levels were found: Men and people with lower levels of education held more myths about CSA. In conclusion, better knowledge about CSA is needed to get people involved in its prevention. We must consider the myths and truths about CSA when designing prevention programs and tailor educational programs to the target population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study explored the mediating role of cognitive and affective components of empathy in the relationship between happiness and positive and negative affect in adolescents with Asperger Syndrome (AS) and their non-AS peers. For that purpose, we measured empathy, subjective happiness, and affect experienced by a group of 42 adolescents with AS compared to 44 of their non-AS peers. Adolescents in both groups were matched on age, sex, and IQ, and were administered a battery of measures assessing their self-reports of empathy, perspective-taking, subjective happiness, and positive and negative affect. Findings revealed that adolescents with AS, in contrast to their peers without AS, reported less subjective happiness, less positive affect, and lower affective balance. No differences were found between the two groups on negative affect. A mediating role of both cognitive and affective components of empathy was found between happiness, positive affect, and affective balance experienced in relation to AS. Theoretical and practical implications of these results are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]