The Weekly Behavior Report: A Parent-Report Instrument for Sexually Abused Preschoolers

Abstract

Most studies examining symptomatology in sexually abused preschoolers have used nonspecific (i.e., global) measures of child behavior and psychopathology. In response to the lack of symptom-specific instruments for this population, the authors developed the Weekly Behavior Report (WBR) for use in an ongoing treatment outcome study for sexually abused preschool children. The WBR was developed to focus specifically on the most common difficulties that this population has, based on the empirical data currently available. In addition to helping to identify problem behaviors in sexually abused children, such as sleep difficulties, anxiety symptoms, and inappropriate sexual behavior, it has also been sensitive to change following treatment. The WBR demonstrates promise for clinical and empirical research use with this population.