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Handbook of Interpersonal Violence and Abuse Across the Lifespan pp 1–41Cite as

Acute Sexual Assault Evaluation of the Prepubertal Child

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Abstract

When a child makes a disclosure of acute sexual assault, the need for a timely evaluation becomes paramount. In this situation, the responsibility of the examiner becomes twofold: (1) ensuring appropriate medical care is provided for the child and (2) collection of forensic evidence to assist with investigation of the child’s disclosure. The primary focus of the examiner should be to perform a trauma-informed, victim-centered evaluation of the child, which is developmentally appropriate to individual child’s needs. The examiner should be able to obtain any necessary history, perform a thorough physical examination, determine what laboratory evaluation may be indicated, and address any medical or psychological needs which may be identified.

This chapter will focus on the medical and forensic components of the acute sexual assault evaluation of prepubertal children, including the collection of historical, physical, and forensic evidence; laboratory evaluation; interpretation of findings; and medical management considerations for this patient population.

This chapter was initially published with an incorrect copyright holder name. It has been corrected to © Springer Nature Switzerland AG.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Eastern Virginia Medical School/Children’s Hospital of The King’s Daughters, Norfolk, VA, USA

    Amber Shipman & Michelle Clayton

  2. Children’s Hospital of The King’s Daughters, Norfolk, VA, USA

    Dawn Scaff & Cassandra Elverum

Authors
  1. Amber Shipman
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  2. Dawn Scaff
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  3. Cassandra Elverum
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  4. Michelle Clayton
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Michelle Clayton .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Institute on Violence, Abuse and Trauma, Alliant International University, San Diego, CA, USA

    Robert Geffner

  2. School of Health and Human Sciences, University of North Carolina at Greensbo, Greensboro, NC, USA

    Jacquelyn W. White

  3. Dept of Family and Community Medicine, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA

    L. Kevin Hamberger

  4. Department of Psychology, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL, USA

    Alan Rosenbaum

  5. Ethelyn R. Strong School of Social Work, Norfolk State University, Norfolk, VA, USA

    Viola Vaughan-Eden

  6. Education and Research, Zero Abuse Project, St. Paul, MN, USA

    Victor I. Vieth

Section Editor information

  1. Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA

    Ernestine Briggs

  2. School of Social Work, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, USA

    Javonda Williams

  3. Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Eastern Virginia Medical School/Children's Hospital of The King's Daughters, Norfolk, VA, USA

    Michelle Clayton

  4. The UP Institute, CEO, New Orleans, LA, USA

    Stacie LeBlanc

  5. Ethelyn R. Strong School of Social Work, Norfolk State University, Norfolk, VA, USA

    Viola Vaughan-Eden

  6. Owner/Principal Consultant & Trainer, Russell Consulting Specialists, LLC, Vancouver, Washington, USA

    Amy Russell

  7. Executive Director, Arthur D. Curtis Children's Justice Center http://www.clark.wa.gov/cjc

    Amy Russell

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Shipman, A., Scaff, D., Elverum, C., Clayton, M. (2020). Acute Sexual Assault Evaluation of the Prepubertal Child. In: Geffner, R., White, J.W., Hamberger, L.K., Rosenbaum, A., Vaughan-Eden, V., Vieth, V.I. (eds) Handbook of Interpersonal Violence and Abuse Across the Lifespan. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-62122-7_121-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-62122-7_121-1

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  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-62122-7

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-62122-7

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