Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting
Terminology The term “female genital mutilation/cutting” (FGM/C) refers to all procedures involving partial or total removal of the external female genitalia or other injury to the female genital organs for…
Internet Child Sexual Exploitation
Children on the Internet The Internet has become one of the most important and available resources to people everywhere. There are an estimated 1.4 billion Internet users worldwide with 248…
The Forensic Evidence Kit
Introduction When examining a victim of sexual abuse, the medical professional has the dual duty of providing medical treatment to the victim and collecting forensic evidence to assist in legal…
Drug-Facilitated Sexual Assault
Occurrence and Characteristics of Drug-Facilitated Sexual Assault Media attention in the 1990s popularized the term “date-rape drugs.” Drugs, however, have been used to facilitate other crimes such as robbery or…
Tests Used to Analyze Forensic Evidence in Cases of Child Sexual Abuse and Assault
Introduction Forensic science is the application of a broad spectrum of scientific disciplines to assist in legal decision making. The modern use of forensic evidence in sexual assault cases has…
Physical Findings in Children and Adolescents Experiencing Sexual Abuse or Assault
Introduction Since the early 1980s, medical care providers have played a major role in describing physical findings in children and adolescents where sexual abuse or assault is suspected. Initial studies…
Adolescent Sexual Assault and Statutory Rape
Adolescent sexual assault and abuse are some of the last frontiers within the field of child abuse still in great need of enhanced research and services. Although reports of sexual…
Normal and Developmental Variations in the Anogenital Examination of Children
Recognition and diagnosis of abnormal anogenital anatomy require the examiner to first master knowledge of normal male and female anatomy, including the variations that present during the process of child…
Interviewing Caregivers of Suspected Child Abuse Victims
One of the most difficult aspects of dealing with cases of possible child maltreatment involves communicating with the caregivers of the child. Common questions that medical providers ask themselves when…
The Physical Examination of the Child When Sexual Abuse Is Suspected
Introduction What was initially described as a “hidden pediatric problem” in 1977 has become an increasingly recognized phenomenon in subsequent decades. Sexual abuse occurs when a child or adolescent is…
