A follow-up pilot study on the psychological adjustment of a sample of sexually abused girls

This pilot study was conducted to examine older child molestation victims’ self-report of their long-term psychological adjustment at least 12 months after the date of their initial clinic evaluation. Female participants were assessed using the Piers-Harris Children’s Self-Concept Scale, Children’s Depression Inventory, and the Hopelessness Scale which were also administered during their first evaluation. T-ratios revealed that scores on all measures, includingfive of the six Piers-Harris subscales showed significant improvement. The high rate of noncompliance associated with this population is also discussed in terms of removal from the home, type of abuse, and age of the perpetrator.