Family Functioning as Predictors of Distress in Revictimized Sexual Abuse Survivors

Abstract

The present study examines the distress symptomatology and family functioning in female undergraduate students who had been sexually victimized in childhood and revictimized in adulthood. This group was contrasted with a child sexual abuse group, peer sexual abuse group, and a no sexual trauma group. Findings indicated that the revictimized group reported the most severe forms of sexual assault relative to other victimized groups. The victimized groups were all significantly more distressed than the nonabused control group with the revictimized group reporting significantly more PTSD symptomatology than other victimization groups. The victimization groups differed significantly from the nonabused group on dimensions of family functioning, but they did not differ significantly from each other. Multiple stepwise regression analysis indicated that conflict and control were significant predictors of distress in the victimization group. Cohesion was a significant predictor of distress in the nonabused group. The clinical implications of the findings are discussed.