Re: sexual abuse

["Joan (Jody) Crowley" <jcrowley@xxxxxxxx>]

> 
> I am the director of a theraputic home for severely abused children (1 yr
> old to 6-7 yrs old) that have been removed from parental home.  Most of the
> parents are either drug abusers or severely disturbed (psychotic, usually).
>  Many of the children have been sexually abused.  In the last few years we
> have had 4 little boys that had been sexually abused by their mother.  All
> of these little boys (ages 4 to 6) had swelling in the breasts at their
> admittance.
> 
> My questions are thus:
>  1. Has anyone else encountered this 'phenemona'?
>  2. Has anyone researched the heightening of hormones in sexual abuse
> (estrogen?)?
>  3. Does anyone have any ideas concerning these questions?

I'm not in a position to answer directly, but I do think it's worth exploring.  
Bruce Perry and his colleagues  at Baylor medical school have been working on the 
neurological outcomes of child abuse, which you may want to pursue. They have a web 
site with current publications.  :
http://www.bcm.tmc.edu/civitas/

If you do pursue this line, please make sure you observe whether sexual abuse by men 
on little boys has a similar effect.  

Good luck,

Jody Crowley

Joan (Jody) Crowley
Assistant Professor
Department of Criminal Justice
New Mexico State University
Box 30001, Dept 3487
Las Cruces, NM 88003-0001
505-646-5376