Abstract
Using anatomical dolls, the play behaviors of nine sexually abused preschool children (five males, four females), ranging in age from 3 to 5 years, were compared with nine preschool children for whom there was no suspicion of sexual abuse and who were matched on the basis of age, gender, race, family status, and socioeconomic status. There was no significant difference between the two groups on explicit sexual behavior (vaginal, oral, and anal intercourse with thrusting motions between the dolls or between the child and the dolls and masturbation by the child). The groups were significantly [t(8)=2.19, p <.05; Wilcoxon W=6, p <.05) different when behaviors with suspicious sexual implication were combined with explicit sexual behaviors. There were no differences between the groups on measures of nonsexual behavior. The occurrence of the suspicious sexual behaviors is discussed and reviews of previous doll research and physical evidence of child sexual abuse are provided.
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This project was supported in part by a grant from The Graduate College of Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, Michigan.
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Kenyon-Jump, R., Burnette, M.M. & Robertson, M. Comparison of behaviors of suspected sexually abused and nonsexually abused preschool children using anatomical dolls. J Psychopathol Behav Assess 13, 225–240 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00960786
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00960786