Thoughts, feelings, and fears about sexuality were compared in sexually abused children and nonabused children. Children ranged in age from 9 to 13 years and were matched on sex, age, race, and maternal marital status and education. Sexually abused children reported significantly more sexual anxiety compared to children with no known history of such abuse. Younger children in both the abused and nonabused groups reported higher levels of sexual anxiety and sex-associated fears. Implications of these findings are discussed.
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