ABSTRACT

Child and adolescent sexual abuse have lifelong consequen-ces. Sexual development, emotional effects, depressed mood, anxiety, behavioral effects and alteration of personality are so-me possible consequences of sexual abuse. In this article we eva-luated psychiatric symptoms according to DSM-IV diagnostic criteria in 21 sexually abused children and adolescents. Twelve girls and nine boys between 4 and 16 years of age were investi-gated. All the patients belonged to low socioeconomic strata. The most frequently diagnosed psychiatric disorders in these children were posttraumatic stress disorder, separation anxiety disorder, major depressive disorder and elimination disorder. Sexually abused children and adolescents present various psychiatric symptoms. So, understanding the consequences of sexual abuse on children and adolescents is significant in assess-ment, prevention, and treatment.