Children's Knowledge of Genital Anatomy and Its Relationship With Children's Use of the Word "Inside" During Questioning About Possible Sexual Abuse

This study was designed to examine the relationship between children's understanding of their genital anatomy and their use of the word "inside" in response to questions about genital touch during a forensic medical examination. This study involved a secondary data analysis of 674 records of children at a sexual abuse clinic in a large city in a southern state. Data were analyzed using contingency table, binary logistic, and multinomial logistic regression analysis methods. An association between children's understanding of genital anatomy and their use of the word "inside" to describe genital touch was found. Children's age and development contributes to their overall understanding of genital anatomy, and their knowledge of genital anatomy appears to influence how they answer questions regarding genital touch. This finding could play an important role in sexual abuse cases in states where the definition of rape includes penetration of any bodily opening, including labial penetration.