Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2022 May 31;8(2):22-27.
doi: 10.32481/djph.2022.05.004. eCollection 2022 May.

Multidisciplinary Team Approach to Addressing Child Sexual Abuse at Nemours Children's Health, Delaware

Allison T Dovi  1 , Jennifer L Macaulay  1 , Andrea Repine  1   2 ; APRN;1; Allan De Jong  1 , Randall E Williams  2 , Stephanie Anne Deutsch  1
Affiliations

Multidisciplinary Team Approach to Addressing Child Sexual Abuse at Nemours Children's Health, Delaware

Allison T Dovi et al. Dela J Public Health. .

Abstract

In 2019, 4.4 million referrals of maltreatment were made that affected approximately 7.9 million children. It was estimated that 9.3% of the referrals were related to child sexual abuse (CSA). To prevent negative psychosocial and health-related outcomes associated with CSA, CSA survivors often participate in a forensic interview, medical and behavioral health assessments, and behavioral health treatment while navigating other life disruptions or changing family dynamics precipitated by the CSA (e.g., change in custody or household, lack of contact with preparator, etc.). The assessment and treatment of pediatric survivors of CSA by multidisciplinary teams (MDT) can enhance families' engagement and participation with the legal process, medical evaluation, and behavioral health services. This paper explores the Nemours Children's Health, Delaware MDT's approach to assessing and treating CSA, explores benefits and barriers associated with the current model, and discusses public health implications of a MDT approach to addressing CSA.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Referral for Forensic Interview, Survivor Age < 12 Years
Figure 2
Figure 2
Referral for Forensic Interview, Survivor Age > 12 Years
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

References

    1. Brown, D. W., Anda, R. F., Tiemeier, H., Felitti, V. J., Edwards, V. J., Croft, J. B., & Giles, W. H. (2009, November). Adverse childhood experiences and the risk of premature mortality. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 37(5), 389–396. 10.1016/j.amepre.2009.06.021 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Dube, S. R., Felitti, V. J., Dong, M., Giles, W. H., & Anda, R. F. (2003, September). The impact of adverse childhood experiences on health problems: Evidence from four birth cohorts dating back to 1900. Preventive Medicine, 37(3), 268–277. 10.1016/S0091-7435(03)00123-3 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Hailes, H. P., Yu, R., Danese, A., & Fazel, S. (2019, October). Long-term outcomes of childhood sexual abuse: An umbrella review. The Lancet. Psychiatry, 6(10), 830–839. 10.1016/S2215-0366(19)30286-X - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Pérez-Fuentes, G., Olfson, M., Villegas, L., Morcillo, C., Wang, S., & Blanco, C. (2013, January). Prevalence and correlates of child sexual abuse: A national study. Comprehensive Psychiatry, 54(1), 16–27. 10.1016/j.comppsych.2012.05.010 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Scoglio, A. A. J., Kraus, S. W., Saczynski, J., Jooma, S., & Molnar, B. E. (2021, January). Systematic review of risk and protective factors for revictimization after child sexual abuse. Trauma, Violence & Abuse, 22(1), 41–53. 10.1177/1524838018823274 - DOI - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources