TITLE:
Outlining the Profile of Child Sexual Abuse in Greece: Data from Official Police Records
AUTHORS:
Grigorios Mavridakis, Vasiliki Brouskeli
KEYWORDS:
Child Sexual Abuse, Perpetrator, Victim, Police Records, Greece
JOURNAL NAME:
Psychology,
Vol.15 No.4,
April
26,
2024
ABSTRACT: The study of child sexual abuse (CSA) is a crucial, though difficult, scientific field characterized by a significant lack of data since social and personal factors hamper disclosure. This study presents data retrieved from the official records of actual CSA cases in the archives of the Hellenic Police in Crete. All data available for the decade 2012-2022 were systematically collected and collated in a form specifically designed for the needs of this study. The issues explored in the study include detailed information concerning the abusive act and, specifically, the type of abuse, i.e., physical contact with and without penetration or no-contact sexual abuse. It also includes information about the recurrence of the abusive act, the context in which it was committed, the existence of violence during the abuse, and the person who disclosed the fact. Finally, data on whether the abuse was impulsive or premeditated, as well as on the perpetrators’ prior relationship with the child and/or their caregivers, as well as the child’s developmental background, are analyzed. Results show that cruel abuse of a child, such as rape, comes more often from a person in the child’s intimate environment, while when the perpetrator has no prior relationship with the victim, the most frequent type of abuse is no-contact sexual abuse. Furthermore, results reveal that when the abuse is premeditated, such as with bribery or threats, it is more likely to be repeated. Results are discussed and interpreted, taking into account the broader theoretical framework and previous studies.