NCJ Number
217353
Journal
Journal of Child Sexual Abuse Volume: 16 Issue: 1 Dated: 2007 Pages: 19-36
Date Published
2007
Length
18 pages
Annotation
For adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) identified in a sample of 733 college students, this study examined the victim's relationship to the perpetrator, disclosure characteristics, social reactions, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Abstract
Out of the total sample (n=733), 22.8 percent reported having experienced CSA (28.2 percent of females and 13.3 percent of males). The study found that the CSA victim's relationship to the perpetrator was related to the characteristics of the abuse and outcomes. Victims of CSA committed by relatives had more serious CSA experiences and greater negative social reactions to abuse disclosures, especially in childhood. This finding supports previous research (Kendall-Tackett, Williams, and Finkelhor, 1993). Victims' more negative reactions to CSA, such as disbelief, were found for those victimized by relatives compared with those victimized by acquaintances and strangers, especially for those disclosing the abuse in childhood. Victims of relatives had more PTSD symptoms if they delayed disclosure, received more negative reactions in childhood, and reacted with self-blame at the time of the abuse. These findings indicate that research and clinical practice should focus on the social context of CSA disclosure and social reactions from formal and informal sources of social support, in order to assist in reducing the psychological harms caused by CSA. The students completed a self-administered survey packet. CSA experiences before age 14 by someone at least 5 years older were assessed. Characteristics of the abuse were assessed with several questions. Questions on disclosure characteristics focused on whether disclosure was made, whether disclosure was accidental or purposeful, age when disclosure was made, and the length of time between the abuse and disclosure. The Social Reactions Questionnaire was administered twice in the survey to assess positive and negative reactions upon disclosure of the CSA. PTSD was assessed with Foa's posttraumatic stress symptom severity scale. 1 table and 32 references