NCJ Number
229200
Journal
Journal of Child Sexual Abuse Volume: 18 Issue: 6 Dated: November-December 2009 Pages: 623-640
Date Published
December 2009
Length
18 pages
Annotation
This study explored posttraumatic growth (PTG) and its relationship with negative posttrauma outcomes of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) survivors.
Abstract
This study demonstrates that survivors of CSA can experience PTG despite their ongoing emotional and cognitive distress. These findings should not be viewed as suggesting that CSA is positive or desirable. Rather, despite the highly negative consequences that it can produce, the present findings suggest that a survivor's struggle with CSA can, in some circumstances, lead to significant transformation. If researchers seek to measure distress in trauma survivors, a level of distress will be found; if researchers seek to measure growth, then a level of growth is likely to be found. When measuring both the positive and negative outcomes survivors attribute to an event such as sexual abuse, a more holistic picture of the survivor emerges as a person who perceives positive changes but does not deny that the event also had a lasting negative impact. Data were collected from 40 female survivors across 2 Australian States: Queensland and Tasmania. Tables and references