RT Article
T1 Child Sexual Abuse, Self-esteem, and Delinquent Behaviors During Adolescence: The Moderating Role of Gender
JF Journal of interpersonal violence
VO 37
IS 15/16
A1 Gauthier-Duchesne, Amélie
A1 Hébert, Martine
A1 Blais, Martin 1924-
A2 Hébert, Martine
A2 Blais, Martin 1924-
LA English
YR 2022
UL https://krimdok.uni-tuebingen.de/Record/1884207871
AB To reflect the complex phenomena of child sexual abuse (CSA), studies should examine possible gender specificities and explore potentially explanatory mechanisms. The current study aimed to test the moderating effect of gender in the mediated relationship between CSA, self-esteem, and delinquency during adolescence. A moderated mediation model was tested among a representative sample of 8,194 high school students (57.8% girls and 42.2% boys) age 14 to 18 in the province of Quebec in Canada. Results showed that self-esteem has an indirect effect on the relationship between CSA and delinquency. Gender (being a boy) was associated with a higher level of self-esteem and an increased risk of delinquent behaviors. Among victims of CSA, boys reported lower levels of self-esteem than girls, which was associated with an increased risk of displaying delinquent behaviors. Self-esteem may be an important target of intervention for sexually abused youth, especially for boys. Focusing on promoting positive self-esteem may also reduce the risk for male adolescents struggling with the deleterious consequences of delinquency.
K1 Adolescence
K1 Child Sexual Abuse
K1 Delinquency
K1 Gender differences
K1 Self-esteem
DO 10.1177/08862605211001466