NCJ Number
223099
Journal
Journal of Youth and Adolescence Volume: 37 Issue: 6 Dated: July 2008 Pages: 699-712
Date Published
July 2008
Length
14 pages
Annotation
Drawing on Agnew's general strain theory, this study examined whether depressed mood and anger mediated the effects of childhood sexual abuse on suicidal behavior and delinquency among 9,113 high-school students in Iceland.
Abstract
The study found that while controlling for family structure and parents' education, being exposed to the strain of childhood sexual abuse was positively related to both depressed mood and anger. The effects of sexual abuse on suicidal behavior of both boys and girls were twice as strong for those with depressed mood than for those characterized by anger. The effects of sexual abuse on acting-out forms of delinquency for both genders were stronger for those exhibiting anger than those exhibiting depressed mood. These findings show the complex nature and impact of the effects of strain, notably the strain of sexual abuse, on adolescents' emotions and behavior. The complexity is further revealed by the finding that adolescents exposed to sexual abuse were more likely to have engaged in suicidal behavior and delinquency, even when not exhibiting feelings of depressed mood and anger. This finding emphasizes the importance for future research to include other emotional reactions when investigating the effects of sexual abuse. Data used for this analysis were drawn from a 2004 national survey of Icelandic adolescents. The sample consisted of 16- to 19-year-old students attending all high schools in Iceland. Two variables were used as control variables (family structure and parental education). The independent variable was having been sexually abused. The mediating variables were depressed mood and anger, and the dependent variables were delinquency and suicidal behavior. Details are provided on how each of these variables was measured, as well as the method of statistical analysis. 5 tables, 1 figure, and 67 references