Intersections of childhood sexual abuse, autistic traits, and gender-related distress in forensic psychiatric evaluation
JOURNAL OF FORENSIC PSYCHIATRY & PSYCHOLOGY, cilt.36, sa.6, ss.953-972, 2025 (SSCI, Scopus)
- Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
- Cilt numarası: 36 Sayı: 6
- Basım Tarihi: 2025
- Doi Numarası: 10.1080/14789949.2025.2594467
- Dergi Adı: JOURNAL OF FORENSIC PSYCHIATRY & PSYCHOLOGY
- Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI), Scopus, Criminal Justice Abstracts, EMBASE, Psycinfo
- Sayfa Sayıları: ss.953-972
- İstanbul Üniversitesi Adresli: Hayır
Özet
This study investigated the intersection of neurodevelopmental and gender-related vulnerabilities among adolescents and young adults with verified histories of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) referred for forensic psychiatric evaluation. The sample comprised 186 individuals aged 15-25 years (89.3% female), all with CSA histories confirmed through official forensic and court records. Participants completed the Gender Identity/Gender Dysphoria Questionnaire for Adolescents and Adults (GIDYQ-AA) and the 50-item Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ-50). Regression analyses controlling for age and education revealed that higher AQ-Communication scores and the presence of psychiatric comorbidity were independently associated with greater gender-related distress. These findings highlight overlapping developmental mechanisms linking early sexual trauma, neurodevelopmental traits, and identity formation. They underscore the importance of trauma-informed, sexuality-sensitive, and neurodiversity-aware approaches in forensic psychiatric assessment of CSA-exposed youth.