Sexual Abuse and Risk of Suicide in Adolescent Women

Abstract

Globally, it has been estimated that child sexual abuse is suffered by
between 10 and 20% of people, and is suffered more frequently by
women. Sexual abuse has been linked to increased suicide risk.
Materials and methods: the main purpose of the present study was to verify the relationship between sexual abuse and suicide attempt, as well as to study the possible relationship of some characteristics of
abuse with suicide risk. The sexual abuse registration Certificate was applied to 50 female patients between the ages of 15 and 19, divided into two groups (group with a suicide attempt, and a group without attempt). Results: the analysis indicated that the group of patients with
a suicide attempt was almost 4 times more likely to have been sexually
abused than the group of patients without attempt. A greater number of abuses were also observed in the attempted group. However, the age of the victim in the first episode, the age of the last abuse, the age difference between the victim and the aggressor, does not affect suicide
risk. It was also observed that in most cases, the aggressor was male
and close to the victim. Discussion: episodes of sexual abuse have a great impact on the risk of suicide attempt, frequently the aggressor is a male close to the victim (relative or family friend).