NCJ Number
130611
Journal
Journal of Interpersonal Violence Volume: 6 Issue: 2 Dated: (June 1991) Pages: 147-159
Date Published
1991
Length
13 pages
Annotation
The Family Environment Scale was administered to 324 female college students, 16 of whom had been sexually abused as children by multiple perpetrators, 146 of whom had been sexually abused by one perpetrator, and 162 of whom had no history of child sexual abuse. The study focused on familial characteristics and characteristics of initial abuse experience as risk factors for multiple victimization.
Abstract
The results indicated that family dysfunction and initial abuse characteristics were predictors of risk for multiple victimization. Victims of multiple sexual abusers characterized their families as less cohesive, less expressive, more conflict-ridden, and hierarchically more rigid than did single perpetrator victims and nonvictims. Both groups of victims said their families displayed less organization than did nonvictims. Multiple perpetrator victims were younger at onset of abuse and more likely to be abused by an intrafamilial perpetrator than single perpetrator victims. 2 tables and 24 references (Author abstract modified)