A CASE-CONTROL STUDY OF SOMATIC AND BEHAVIORAL SYMPTOMS IN SEXUALLY ABUSED BOYS

Objectives-To ascertain how often sexually abused boys present with so matic and behavioural symptoms. Design-A case-control study. Setting-A primary school in South Wales where a male teacher had been convicted of sexually abusing boys since 1981. The police investigation started in 1993 and he was convicted in 1994. A similar large primary school where abuse had not taken place. Subjects-All 107 boys who had been id entified by a police inquiry to have been subject to sexual abuse by a single teacher in a single primary school; 107 age matched controls. Main outcome measures-Symptoms that might have had a somatic or behavi oural basis reported in general practice, hospital, and school health records. Results-Somatic and behavioural complaints were uncommon in b oth cases and controls. There was no significant difference between th e numbers of cases and controls who had presented with somatic and beh avioural complaints (18 cases v 25 controls). However the difference b etween the cases and controls with symptoms lasting over a year was si gnificant (p < 0.05). There were no differences in the nature of repor ted symptoms between the control and abused groups. Conclusions-This s uggests that extensive investigation for possible abuse is not indicat ed where there are short Lived somatic symptoms but it should be consi dered as a possible diagnosis where symptoms are long standing.