ANN ARBOR—Young women who were sexually abused often end up in the juvenile justice system if they don’t seek professional help to deal with the trauma, a new report shows.

The findings underscore a need for intervention to assist the young women, as well as increased efforts to prevent abuse and improve child welfare and social service systems, said Sara Goodkind, lead author who co-wrote the report with Irene Ng, a recent graduate of the joint doctoral program in social work and economics at U-M, and Rosemary Sarri, professor emerita in the School of Social Work and the Institute for Social Research.

“Many girls who have been sexually abused attempt to cope with the trauma of the abuse by engaging in behaviors such as substance abuse and running away that can start them on a pathway to justice system involvement,” said Goodkind, a postdoctoral research associate at the Center on Race and Social Problems at the University of Pittsburgh, but who conducted the research while at U-M.

The study,” The Impact of Sexual Abuse in the Lives of Young Women Involved or at Risk of Involvement with the Juvenile Justice System,” appears in the current issue of Violence Against Women.

The researchers analyzed surveys of 169 young women” ranging in age from 11 to 21″ involved or at risk of involvement with juvenile justice, comparing the 66 girls who experienced sexual abuse with the 103 who did not. Relationships between sexual abuse and young women’s experiences and outcomes were studied in seven areas: family background, school experiences, mental health, substance use, delinquent behavior, social services use, and sexual behavior.

Girls who had been sexually abused indicated more negative experiences and outcomes than girls who were not abused” though abuse is only one factor that contributes to mental health, school and substance abuse problems, and juvenile justice system involvement. The research also suggests a need to focus on other factors, such as poverty, failing schools and lack of funding for social services, which can play a role in how these young women cope.

Although the study focused on young women, research and intervention are also needed to better understand and treat the effects of abuse on young men, Goodkind said.

Social WorkGoodkindSarriThe report