NCJ Number
165025
Journal
Child Abuse and Neglect Volume: 20 Issue: 11 Dated: (November 1996) Pages: 1087-1093
Date Published
1996
Length
7 pages
Annotation
Data regarding a history of sexual abuse, loneliness, and orientation to a social network were collected from 231 female university students, 24 of whom indicated a history of childhood sexual abuse, and from 26 female clients at two treatment centers.
Abstract
Results revealed that victims of sexual abuse were more lonely and less likely to use their social support system than were the controls. Contrary to expectations, those who were in treatment were more lonely and less likely to sue social support than those not in treatment. Those in treatment were also victims for longer time periods involving more incidents than those not in treatment. One-way analysis of variance revealed that the treatment group members were more lonely than the nontreatment and control group members who did not differ from each other. However, on social network orientation, all groups differed from each other in the expected direction. Findings support reports that sexual abuse victims tend to isolate themselves from others. Tables and 17 references (Author abstract modified)