NCJ Number
165348
Journal
Journal of Child Sexual Abuse Volume: 5 Issue: 3 Dated: (1996) Pages: 57-75
Date Published
1996
Length
19 pages
Annotation
This study investigated the effects of childhood sexual abuse for male and female survivors, characteristics of the abuse experience, current coping strategies, and current psychological adjustment.
Abstract
The investigators outlined the following criteria for childhood sexual abuse: the abuse victim was under the age of 18 at the time of the first incident, and some form of physical sexual contact (fondling, attempted or completed vaginal, oral or anal intercourse) occurred between the abuse victim and the perpetrator. On the basis of these criteria, 59 female and 19 male childhood sexual abuse survivors, aged 18 and older, were recruited through local and national support groups for survivors of childhood sexual abuse. Participants completed a background questionnaire, dispositional coping inventories that measure current and retrospective abuse-specific coping styles, and measures of current psychological adjustment. In response to sexual abuse experienced during childhood, avoidance coping emerged as the most frequently used strategy by both sexes. Although there were no gender differences in current use of problem-focused and avoidance strategies, males related more use of acceptance; whereas, females used more emotion-focused coping. Generally, females reported significantly greater trauma-related distress than males, including higher levels of anxiety, depression, and post-trauma symptoms. Future research with larger and more diverse samples is needed to examine the relation between child and adult abuse-specific and general coping styles as well as their relation to gender. 5 tables and 18 references