Exploring Mediators of the Link Between Childhood Sexual Abuse and Attempted or Completed Rape in a Mixed Gender College Sample

Abstract

Research is needed to better understand risk for sexual revictimization following childhood sexual abuse (CSA). Using single and multigroup structural equation modeling (SEM) techniques, we examined (a) whether the relation between CSA and attempted or completed rape was mediated by attachment insecurity (either anxiety or avoidance) and sexual motives and (b) whether these models differed significantly by gender. Sexually active college students (920; 59% women, 84% White, 96% heterosexual) were recruited for an Internet-based self-report cross-sectional survey study. About half (49%) of individuals who experienced CSA also experienced victimization since age 14. Thirty-five percent of women and 18% of men reported rape or attempted rape since age 14. In Model 1 attachment anxiety only partially mediated revictimization for women. In Model 2 attachment avoidance did not mediate revictimization. In both models avoidance motives for sex partially mediated revictimization for women and men but this effect was stronger for men. These findings underscore the importance of conducting sexual revictimization research in mixed-gender samples. Our results suggest that rates of men's victimization may be higher than previously assumed, and evaluating gender differences with modeling techniques may help identify variables (i.e., attachment anxiety) that explain the greater prevalence of sexual assault in adulthood among women.