Child sexual abuse (CSA) includes abusive contact experiences, which habitually impact the victim’s whole life. This study aims to analyze the characteristics of six CSA experiences with physical contact, including penetration, in a representative sample of the Spanish population. Participants were 1071 Spanish adults (53% males; M_age: 45.37) who completed the Child Sexual Abuse Experiences Questionnaire. The victim’s age at the first episode, the perpetrator’s characteristics, and the number of times that each experience occurred were analyzed, taking into account gender differences. Results were reported for every experience independently. The most prevalent age at the first experience was from 6 years old onwards, but with differences in some experiences. The abuses usually happened more than once, committed by the same person. The most prevalent perpetrator is a male, although a female perpetrator is more prevalent in male victims. Most of the abuses were committed by an adult acquaintance, a strange adult, and other minors, with some gender differences. The implications of the results concerning every CSA experience are discussed, highlighting their value for future research and practice, the design of preventive programs, and early detection of CSA.

The aim of this study was to examine changes in sexist attitudes and beliefs in a group of Spanish adolescents over a period of three consecutive years, with specific attention being paid to gender differences. Participants were 279 students (mean age at first assessment of 12.10 years) who, in each of the three years, completed the Ambivalent Sexism Inventory and the Questionnaire on Attitudes towards Diversity and Violence. Longitudinal analysis showed that hostile sexism did not vary over time, whereas scores on benevolent sexism and on sexist beliefs and justification of violence all fell between the ages of 12 and 14, there being an equivalent decrease in boys and girls. Boys scored significantly higher than girls on hostile sexism, as well as on sexist beliefs. These results illustrate how sexist attitudes and beliefs change during adolescence and provide further confirmation that these variables show gender differences from an early age.

Child sexual abuse (CSA) is a terrible type of maltreatment that can have serious physical and psychological consequences for victims. These consequences include shame and are often taboo in conversation, which makes CSA very difficult to see. Therefore, multiple myths exist about CSA that can lead to misperceptions regarding issues such as its context, prevalence, and consequences. What is unknown cannot be addressed; therefore, the aim of this work was to investigate Spanish participants’ knowledge about CSA as well as examine gender and educational level differences. A 10-item questionnaire comprising myths and truths about CSA was developed, taking into account existing literature. Participants (N = 1,540) had to rate their level of agreement with the statements. Some important aspects of CSA remain unclear, particularly in terms of the background of the victims (e.g., gender, educational level, CSA prevalence). Significant differences in the perception of CSA between men and women and among those with various educational levels were found: Men and people with lower levels of education held more myths about CSA. In conclusion, better knowledge about CSA is needed to get people involved in its prevention. We must consider the myths and truths about CSA when designing prevention programs and tailor educational programs to the target population.

The prevalence of child sexual abuse (CSA) is difficult to assess, and rates vary widely across studies due to methodological and sample differences. In Spain, prevalence data from representative samples are lacking. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of different CSA experiences in a sample that was representative of the Spanish population in terms of gender, age, and region. The sample comprised 1,071 (539 male and 532 female) Spanish adults ( M _age = 45.37; SD = 14.84). Participants completed an anonymous online survey about different types of CSA and were asked whether they had disclosed the experience at the time. Prevalence was analyzed as a function of gender and generation. Results indicated prevalence rates ranging from 2.8% to 18.5%, depending on the type of experience. The most common experience suffered during childhood was being shown pornographic material, while that with the lowest prevalence was being forced to perform a sexual act involving penetration. Prevalence was higher in females than males for eight of the ten experiences considered. Young adults from Generation Z were the most likely to report having suffered three of the CSA experiences, two of them related to technology. Only 27.5% of respondents said that they had told someone about the abuse at the time, mainly their mother (more common among females) or a friend/peer (more frequent among males). The results suggest that CSA is prevalent in Spain, with considerable rates for several types of abusive experience, especially among females and the youngest generation. The implications of the results are discussed. The findings may inform social policy and the development of effective prevention programs.

Dispositional personality characteristics may play a role in psychosocial adjustment to any disease, including cancer. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to identify personality profiles in breast cancer patients and to determine whether these profiles are associated with psychological adjustment or psychopathology. Methods: Participants were 109 women (mean age, 52.01) diagnosed with breast cancer. They completed the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory-III (MCMI-III), the Life Orientation Test-Revised (LOT-R), the Satisfaction with Life Scale, and the Positive and Negative Affect Scales. Results: The analysis revealed two different personality profiles: (a) one group, comprising 38.23% of the sample, was characterized by paranoid, negativistic, and dependent personality traits and was considered as a “vulnerable group”; and (b) another group (61.77%) was characterized by compulsive, histrionic, and narcissistic personality traits and was considered as a “psychologically adjusted group”. The vulnerable group scored higher than the psychologically adjusted group on all clinical syndromes, with scores above 60 on the anxiety, somatoform, dysthymic, and bipolar scales (score on anxiety being above 75); in contrast, the psychologically adjusted group did not reach a base rate score of 60 on any of the clinical syndromes, showing no manifestations of psychopathology. Additionally, the vulnerable group scored lower than the psychologically adjusted group on optimism, life satisfaction, and positive affect, but higher on negative affect. Conclusions: The results suggest that personality traits could affect the psychological adjustment of breast cancer survivors. We discuss the implications of belonging to each group and highlight the importance of early identification of vulnerable women in order to facilitate clinical and psychological support.