Symptom Profiles Specific to Trauma in a Child Inpatient Unit.

Adverse childhood experiences (ACE) score showing 4 or more types of trauma have been shown to be a strong predictor of deleterious outcomes. We report here on the relationship between ACE or number of trauma types, and symptom profile as measured by the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) of children on an inpatient unit. Previous work has been limited to samples preselected for trauma, thus limiting the ability to identify whether the clinical presentation of trauma has unique attributes when compared to a clinical sample of comparable severity.

Problematic Sexual Behavior in Children.

It is important for health care professionals to have a strong knowledge base of childhood sexual development, to know how to differentiate between problematic and normative sexual behaviors, and counsel parents accordingly given their assessment of the behaviors. A review of the literature suggests that sexual behaviors are a common occurrence in childhood, though some behaviors are rare regardless of age. Frequency of the behavior, developmental considerations, and the level of harm may help health care professionals assess whether the sexual behavior is typical or problematic.

Identifying Youth at Risk for Commercial Sexual Exploitation Within Child Advocacy Centers: A Statewide Pilot Study.

Commercial sexual exploitation of children (CSEC) is a social problem in the United States that has recently received growing attention from policy makers, advocates, and researchers. Despite increasing awareness of this issue, information on the prevalence, demographic profile, and psychosocial needs of victims of CSEC is scarce. To better understand the scope of CSEC and to examine the feasibility of screening for CSEC in Child Advocacy Centers (CACs), a pilot study was initiated through Arkansas Building Effective Services for Trauma (ARBEST) to identify youth who may be at risk for commercial sexual exploitation.

The Basic Science of Behavior Change and Its Application to Pediatric Providers.

Pediatric primary care providers (PPCPs) are increasingly expected to know how to assess, diagnose, and treat a wide range of mental health problems in children and adolescents. For many PPCPs, this means learning and performing new practice behaviors that were not taught in their residency training. Typical continuing education approaches to engage PPCPs in new practices have not yielded the desired changes in provider behavior.