Mental health articles

child sexual abuse by grandfathers Abuse by a grandparent accounts for approximately 11% of all substantiated abuse by nonparental caretakers (Margolin & Craft, 1989) but only 1% to 2% of all child sexual abuse (Russell, 1983; Wyatt, 1985). Of grandparents who abuse, grandmothers account for 0% to 7% of that abuse (Cupoli & Sewell, 1988; Margolin, 1992; Margolin & Craft, 1989; Russell, 1986). Children are at greatest risk when they are in the temporary care of their grandparents. In a study by Margolin (1992), of the grandchildren with a substantiated case of abuse, 10% were in the custody of their grandparents at the time of the abuse, and another 64% were in the temporary care of the grandparent (almost always an overnight visit). As expected, 88% of the victims were female. There are two historic views of abuse by a grandfather: (a) These men are compensating for physiological impotence and are, therefore, unlikely to repeat the offenses; and (b) There is multigenerational incest in the family in which the offender abuses children across generations (Goodwin, Cormier, & Owen, 1983). The minimal literature on this type of abuse supports the second hypothesis. In one dated study of a small sample of children abused by grandfathers, 80% of the mothers were also victims of child sexual abuse, and all had been sexually abused by their fathers (Goodwin et al., 1983). The offenders abused an average of 3.3 children each, almost all of whom were relatives. In Russell’s (1986) random community prevalence study of female respondents, 44% of the grandfather perpetrators had also sexually abused another relative. Margolin (1992) also found indications of tri – generational abuse, as 34% of the grandfathers had also sexually abused their own daughters. Margolin states, “these differences suggest that individuals from families with a history of trigenerational sexual abuse may either feel inured to these violations or feel there is little likelihood of successful intervention’’ (p, 740). In Russell’s (1986) retrospective accounts of abuse, grandfathers abused more frequently (82% of victims were abused more than one time) and longer (70% were abused more than a year) than other incest perpetrators. Yet, grandfathers were significantly more likely to abuse their victims at the least severe level, although they were not significantly less likely to use force. Margolin (1992) instead found mixed results concerning severity of the abuse. Although the most common type of substantiated sexual abuse was fondling without penetration (45%), 3 1% of victims experienced digital penetration, and intercourse was attempted or completed in 24% of all cases. Seventy percent of the victims were abused three or more times, and 35% were abused for more than a year. Another interesting finding in Russell’s study was that 55% of victims were also abused by other incest perpetrators, as compared to 13% of other incest victims. This finding was corroborated in Goodwin et al.’s (1983) study, in which almost half of the victims were abused by another offender. A final interesting characteristic of abuse by grandfathers is the preponderance of step – grandfathers who abuse (35% in Margolin’s study). In her study, abuse by step – grandparents was more severe than abuse by biological grandfathers, as 18% of the victims experienced intercourse (as compared to 8% of biological grandfathers), 55% experienced digital penetration (versus 3 5%), and 24% experienced threats and physical violence (versus 10%). Thus, abuse by grandparents is almost always committed by the grandfather, who most likely also abused his own daughter. Step – grandfathers also appear to be at increased risk to offend. While this abuse is more frequent than most other types of intrafamilial abuse, it may be less severe.

Tags: child, sexual abuse