L’examen médical à la suite d’une agression sexuelle : qui sont les enfants qui en bénéficient
Following the disclosure of sexual assault, the medical examination is one of the most important steps recommended for child victims, but only some of them undergo the examination. The objective of this study was to determine whether children who undergo an anogenital examination following a disclosure of sexual assault are different than those who do not, as well as to document the variables, particularly, the characteristics of the child, the family, the aggressor and the assault, that could predict whether or not an anogenital examination is conducted. The study group was composed of 211 children within between the ages of 6 to 13 years old receiving services at the Centre d’expertise Marie-Vincent. A binary logistic regression reveals that when the mother is unemployed (RC = 6.15), being a victim of a very violent sexual assault (RC = 6.02), being a victim of an adult aggressor (RC = 3.43) and coming from a single-parent family (RC = 2.89) contribute to predicting if the anogenital exam is given or not following the disclosure. Results confirm that the primary goal of the anogenital examination is to find elements of proof and that many children who could benefit from this test for their wellbeing are not being examined.
Preuves médicales Anogenital exam Medical findings Bodily integrity Sexual abuse Child Child Advocacy Center