Assessment of cyber abuse in sexually abused children and adolescents
Methods: We assessed 75 children and adolescents aged 7-18 who had experienced sexual abuse and were referred to us between 01.01.2014-01.01.2015. Additionally, 45 typical developing subjects who did not have any abuse history were recruited from pediatrics clinic of or hospital as the control group. We used our semi-structured questionnaire to assess cyber abuse.
Results: The rates of internet use were high in the control group (97.8%) compared to those of sexually abused teens (82.7%). However, the rates of cyber abuse were similar between the groups. The most used web site/application was different between the groups. Facebook was the most used web site/application in the sexually abused group (69.4%). This ratio was only 20.5% in the control group.
Conclusions: We assessed cyber abuse in a population exposed to sexual abuse. As several authors have previously emphasized, the implementation of preventative steps is essential. There is a great need to develop and evaluate interventions with those children and young people, particularly in sexually abused children and adolescents who are thought to be more vulnerable to cyber abuse.
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Article Information
- Article Type Research Article
- Submitted February 21, 2026
- Published January 3, 2019
- Issue Vol. 5 No. 1 (2019)
- Section Research Article
