Childhood Sexual Abuse and Its Relationship With Psychosocial Outcomes Among Children Affected by HIV in Rural China

This study assessed the prevalence of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) and its association with psychosocial outcomes among children residing in communities with a high prevalence of HIV in rural China. Data were collected from HIV orphans (n = 417; children who had lost one or both parents to HIV), vulnerable children (n = 326; children living with HIV-infected parents), and comparison children (n = 276; children who had not experienced HIV-related familial illness or death). Approximately 30% of the children reported having experienced at least one form of CSA; boys (37%) reported more cases of CSA as compared with girls (24%); 24% reported experiencing only nonphysical CSA, 5% reported both physical and nonphysical CSA, and 2% reported only physical CSA. Multivariate analysis revealed that CSA was significantly associated with problem behaviors and quality of life independent of key demographic factors. These findings suggest that the children in this study were vulnerable to CSA and also highlight the need to address the issues of CSA in this population.