Child abuse and domestic violence in families of children seen for suspected sexual abuse

We surveyed families of children seen in a sexual abuse evaluation clinic r egarding domestic violence in the child's home and physical and sexual abus e during childhood among the mothers. Domestic violence occurred in 54% (21 6/402) of the children's homes; 28% (111/392) of mothers reported childhood physical abuse, and 42% (167/395) reported sexual abuse. There were no dif ferences in the rates of domestic violence (chi(2)=0.42, 2df, p=0.8), mater nal physical abuse (chi(2)=2.40, 2df, p=0.3), or maternal sexual abuse (chi (2)=2.11, 2df, p=0.3) based on whether our current patient was at high, med ium, or low risk for having actually experienced sexual abuse. Neither dome stic violence in the child's home nor the mother's childhood experience of abuse was increased if the child's perpetrator was a relative or lived in t he home. Domestic violence in the child's home was more frequent if the mot her had experienced physical abuse during childhood (65%, 70/107) than if s he had not (48%, 130/271; chi(2)=8.69, p<0.01), Child sexual abuse is part of a global pattern of victimization, and clinicians must address other for ms of family violence when evaluating a child for allegations of sexual abu se.