Child Sexual Abuse, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, and Substance Use: Predictors of Revictimization in Adult Sexual Assault Survivors

• NCJ Number: 228460
• Journal: Journal of Child Sexual Abuse Volume: 18 Issue: 4 Dated: July-August 2009 Pages: 367-385
• Author(s): Sarah E. Ullman; Cynthia J. Najdowski; Henrietta H. Filipas
• Date Published: August 2009
• Length: 19 pages
• Grant Number(s): 13455
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Health and Human Services
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Research (Applied/Empirical)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This study examined possible mechanisms through which childhood sexual abuse (CSA) might contribute to increased risk of sexual revictimization in a community sample of female adult sexual assault (ASA) victims.

Abstract

Results indicate that child sexual abuse (CSA) predicted more posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms in adult sexual assault victims. PTSD numbing symptoms directly predicted revictimization, whereas other PTSD symptoms (re-experiencing, avoidance, and arousal) were related to problem drinking, which in turn predicted revictimization. The numbing symptoms and problem drinking might be independent risk factors for sexual revictimization in adult sexual assault victims, particularly for women with a history of CSA. Increased risk of sexual revictimization in women previously sexually assaulted in childhood, adolescence, or adulthood is a phenomenon well documented in the research literature. This study examined childhood sexual abuse, PTSD, and substance use as possible predictors of sexual revictimization in female adult sexual assault survivors over the course of 1 year. The study analyzed mail survey data from a longitudinal study of sexual assault survivors consisting of two waves of data collection occurring a year apart. The study sample consisted of 555 participants. Tables, figure, notes, and references