NCJ Number
219687
Journal
Journal of Child Sexual Abuse Volume: 16 Issue: 2 Dated: 2007 Pages: 97-113
Date Published
2007
Length
17 pages
Annotation
This study obtained descriptive data on the sexual abuse experiences of a high-functioning population of girls (scholarship recipients for postsecondary educational institutions) formerly in foster care and examined the psychological correlates of sexual abuse.
Abstract
Of the total sample (n=84), the majority of women (65.5 percent) reported a history of sexual abuse. Consistent with past research, the placement histories of foster youth who were sexually abused were distinctive. Women with a history of sexual abuse changed placements within the child welfare system twice as often as women with no history of sexual abuse, and they were more likely to have been housed in restrictive placement. For women with a history of sexual abuse, some experiences differed across the placement where sexual abuse occurred (outside the foster care system, within the foster care system, and within both settings). Although the age of first sexual abuse did not differ across the three groups, women who were sexually abused within foster care were significantly younger when they entered foster care. In addition, women who reported sexual abuse in both settings had significantly higher numbers of sexual abusers than women in the other two groups. Trauma-related beliefs (e.g., self-blame and stigmatization) varied within the sample, depending on where sexual abuse occurred, and they were independent of the age at which they entered foster care and how many perpetrators were involved in their sexual abuse. Scores for trauma-related beliefs (TRB) were highest for participants who reported abuse across both settings. Rates of resilience were highest (lowest levels of symptomatology) for women who blamed the perpetrator for the abuse. The sample consisted of 84 women 18-25 years old who were identified for the study through the Orphan Foundation of America. 5 tables and 23 references