Back to Authors

Zink, Therese

0000-0003-4455-7751

A5055085747 | I130238516

Mayo Clinic

University of Minnesota

Citations 1

The Development of a Sexual Abuse Severity Score

Journal of Interpersonal Violence | May 3, 2008 | Volume: 24 | Issue: 3 | Pages: 537-546

10.1177/0886260508317198 | PMID 18451098

Childhood sexual abuse (CSA) is common and is associated with both mental and physical health problems in adulthood. Using data from an age- and sex-stratified population survey of 600 Olmsted County, Minnesota, residents, a Sexual Abuse Severity Score was developed. The abuse characteristics of 156 CSA respondents were associated with self-reported trauma, somatization, and alcohol use. Characteristics included age of first sexual abuse, more than one perpetrator, degree of coercion, severity of abuse (i.e., attempted intercourse is more severe than fondling), and the number of occurrences. This is one of the few reports to develop a risk summary that quantifies the severity of CSA.