Sexual Abuse Trauma Research Articles

BookReviews

This book is a compendium of papers given at the 8th International Congress of Women's Health Issues held in Canada in June 1997.It consists of 29 chapters which have been arranged into 5 themes: theoretical and practical issues, the trauma of sexual abuse and violence across the lifespan, reproduction, motherhood and the social control of women, traditional cultures and women's health, and globalization, corporate greed and their impact on women's image, health and work.

Spiritual Maturity and Mental Health: Implications for Counseling

Evidence was found to support the validity of Genia's (1997) spiritual maturity typology. Participants (N = 256) were categorized as spiritually growth‐oriented, transitional, dogmatic, or underdeveloped. Those in the underdeveloped and dogmatic groups seemed to be more emotionally distressed than those in the growth oriented group. The authors also formed a group, based on scores above the mean on both the Dissociation Scale and the Sexual Abuse Trauma Index (SATI) of the Trauma Symptom Checklist‐40 (TSC‐40; Elliott & Briere, 1992), that they hypothesized were traumatized in childhood. They found that those individuals, compared to the nontraumatized persons, experienced lower levels of spiritual support and were more symptomatic on mental health measures. The traumatized women, especially, experienced psychological distress, particularly in areas of depression, anxiety, and sexual problems. Although trauma generally was associated negatively with spiritual development, some traumatized persons also scored among the spiritually growth oriented, suggesting that such trauma is not associated in all cases with a detrimental effect in the process of spiritual development.

Victim to Victimizer: The Psychology of Isomorphism in a Case of a Recidivist Pedophile in Finland

ABSTRACT An extreme case of a six victim, 38-year-old recidivist sex offender was selected for examining the isomorphic relationships between child sexual abuse trauma and adult sex offenses. This sex offender had victimized children of both sexes and an adult woman. Life history, letter, file, and the Adult Attachment Interview information were analyzed to seek the relations between childhood abuse experiences and adult offending. Both subjective reports and file data revealed that the man had experienced severe physical, psychological, and sexual abuse in childhood. His pattern of sexual offending against children was similar to his own experiences of sexual abuse by his father. The age of the child victims fell in the range of his age at the time of the childhood sexual abuse. Moreover, the use of coercion to gain victim compliance resembled the way his father had acted towards him. The pedophile's offending behavior was interpreted using the isomorphic and attachment perspectives.

Childhood trauma and perceived parental dysfunction in the etiology of dissociative symptoms in psychiatric inpatients.

Research on the etiology of dissociation in adults has focused primarily on childhood sexual abuse. The role of co-occurring childhood stressors and of more chronic adverse conditions such as neglect is less clear. This study examined the level of dissociation in relation to childhood trauma (sexual/physical abuse, witnessing interparental violence), early separation from a parent, and perceived parental dysfunction. One hundred sixty inpatients consecutively admitted to a general psychiatric hospital were administered the Dissociative Experiences Scale and the Structured Trauma Interview. The mean Dissociative Experiences Scale score was 17.4; 18.0% of the patients scored beyond 30. Early separation was reported by 26.4% of the patients; 30.1% had witnessed interparental violence; 23.6% reported physical abuse; 34.6% reported sexual abuse; 11.7% reported rape before age 16; and 42.1% reported sexual and/or physical abuse. The level of dissociation was primarily related to reported overwhelming childhood experiences (sexual and physical abuse). When sexual abuse was severe (involving penetration, several perpetrators, lasting more than 1 year), dissociative symptoms were even more prominent. Highest dissociation levels were found in patients reporting cumulative sexual trauma (intrafamilial and extrafamilial) or both sexual and physical abuse. In particular, maternal dysfunction was related to the level of dissociation. With control for gender and age, stepwise multiple regression analysis indicated that the severity of dissociative symptoms was best predicted by reported sexual abuse, physical abuse, and maternal dysfunction. These findings indicate that dissociation, although trauma-related, is neglect-related as well. This implies the importance of object relations and attachment in the diagnosis and treatment of patients with dissociative disorders.

The Use of Peer Support for Parents and Youth Living with the Trauma of Child Sexual Abuse: An Innovative Approach

ABSTRACTThis article describes and reports on an innovative intervention program for parents of sexually abused children and youth. Peer support provided by non-professional staff and volunteers, who have been personally affected by the trauma of child sexual abuse, is an approach with unique advantages. Many of these consumers have not been able to benefit from traditional service delivery approaches. Goals and objectives of the Peer Support Program (PSP) have been developed through inter-agency collaboration initiatives comprised of a coalition of existing social service agencies. This report examines characteristics of service delivery and level of consumer satisfaction of parents and youth who have participated in the peer support program. Implications for interventions with sexually abused youth and parents of sexually abused children are discussed.

A creative model for recovery from child sexual abuse trauma

A creative model for recovery from child sexual abuse trauma

Sexual abuse trauma among Chinese survivors

Objective: As an initial effort to examine Chinese sexual abuse trauma in relation to the cultural construction of sexual victimization of women, this study applies Finkelhor and Browne’s (1985) traumagenic dynamics model to examine post-abuse trauma among Chinese child and adolescent survivors in Taiwan. In analyzing sexual abuse trauma in the context of Chinese patriarchal familialism and cultural fetish for female chastity, this study attempts to explore cultural constructional process of sexual abuse in Chinese society. Method: This study conducted in-depth interviews with 19 survivors of, and three social workers on, sexual abuse in Taiwan. These interviews were guided by a semi-structured questionnaire on sexual abuse incidents and post-abuse responses/concerns, and had generated a total of 84 pages of written reports, which serve as the text-data for the analysis. Results: This study identifies sexual stigmatization and senses of disempowerment and betrayal as the most pervasive trauma complex among Chinese sexual abuse survivors in Taiwan. This study found that, in addition to lowering self-esteem, sexual stigmatization results in polarized sexuality among adolescent survivors, as manifested in aversion to and preoccupation with sexuality. The abuse-induced disempowerment is manifested in the survivors’ fear for personal safety and heightened sense of vulnerability to re-victimization. The sense of betrayal results in interpersonal difficulties as manifested in self-imposed isolation from others and/or suspicious attitudes toward others, which further impair the survivor’s efficacy in meeting her abuse-induced clinging need. Conclusions: Overall, this study observes similar traumatic symptoms between Chinese survivors and their American counterparts as documented in the literature. Nevertheless, this study observes the sexual stigmatization represents the most prevailing post-abuse trauma among Chinese sexual abuse survivors, and reflects the patriarchal fetish for female chastity in the Chinese cultural construction of sexual victimization.

Pervasive Refusal Syndrome: A Less Severe Variant with Defined Aetiology

Lask et al. (Archives of Disease in Childhood, 66, 866-869) described pervasive refusal syndrome in 1991. The severe behavioural syndrome described could not be accounted for under other diagnostic categories and required hospitalization. The aetiology of this condition was not clear; Lask et al. hypothesized an aetiology of sexual abuse but this could only be proven in one case in their series. Subsequently Nunn and Thompson (Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 1, 121-132, 1996) proposed an aetiology based on the theory of learned helplessness. We report on a further case fulfilling criteria for pervasive refusal syndrome. This patient presented with symptoms which were milder than described by Lask et al. A clear aetiology of traumatic sexual abuse involving intimidation was uncovered without the confounding factors of severe family dysfunction or social deprivation that were present in Lask et al.'s series. This is the first case of abuse described where the perpetrator is a minor. The syndrome resolved rapidly once the abuse was discovered and the child is well at 1-year follow-up. This case suggests that pervasive refusal can exist as a spectrum disorder of varying severity. The clear aetiology found in this case supports the original aetiology hypothesized in Lask et al.'s description and supports the hypothesis of the post-traumatic nature of the syndrome.

Sexually Abused Children's Perceptions of Sexual Abuse: An Exploratory Analysis and Comparison Across Ages

ABSTRACT Personal interviews were conducted with 42 sexually abused children aged 4–16 years. A projective-type vignette describing a sexually abusive incident was read to the children followed by a standard list of questions designed to measure cognitive dimensions associated with the trauma of sexual abuse. Overall, the abused children's responses were consistent with perceptions of betrayal, sexualization, secrecy pressure, and coercion with few perceptions of victim blame. Comparisons were made between the perceptions of two developmentally distinct age groups (4–8 and 10–12 year olds) and results indicated that younger children exhibited greater perceptions of victim blame than the older children. Older children, however, attributed a more negative self-concept to the vignette victim and responded with greater perceptions of coercion. The significance of the findings is discussed in terms of prevention and treatment implications.

How multiple types of stressors impact on health.

Although many studies have focused on the relationship between stress and health, few have examined the impact of multiple types of stressors. The current study investigated the health impact of four stressors: sexual and physical abuse history, lifetime losses and traumas, turmoil in childhood family, and recent stressful life events. The sample included 239 female patients from a referral-based gastroenterology clinic. We found that the four stressors (abuse history, lifetime traumas, turmoil in childhood family, and recent stressful life events) were related to poor health status (eg, more pain, symptoms, bed disability days, physician visits, functional disability, and psychological distress); together, these stressors accounted for 32% of the variance in overall current health. Furthermore, women who scored high on one type of stressor also tended to have experienced other types. Unlike many previous studies, we did not find that social support buffered the effects of stress. This study provides evidence that many different types of stressors independently contribute to poor health outcome. Such findings suggest that health practitioners and researchers should question patients about histories of traumatic events, in addition to the examination of the biological aspects of illness, inasmuch as both may have notable effects on health status.

Sarah's Story: Using Ritual Therapy to Address Psychospiritual Issues in Treating Survivors of Childhood Sexual Abuse

“Sarah's” story is a true account of one individual's healing from the trauma of childhood sexual abuse through counseling, spiritual growth, and the use of therapeutic ritual. The article explores the relationship between the psychospiritual issues associated with childhood sexual abuse and commonly designated treatment goals. Addressing psychospiritual issues is shown to be the key to achieving assimilation and healing. Ritual therapy is suggested as a method for helping clients accomplish this task through the discovery of metameaning. A description of Sarah's therapeutic ritual is offered as a model for treatment design, and its efficacy in Sarah's case is evaluated.

Psychological dysfunction in patients with reflex sympathetic dystrophy

Patients with reflex sympathetic dystrophy (RSD) often present with pain and disability that cannot be explained on the basis of objective physical findings. This has led some to speculate that RSD may be caused or mediated by non-organic factors. Unfortunately, there have been few studies using standardized measures of mood and illness behavior that have compared patients with RSD to patients with other chronic pain disorders. The goal of the present study, therefore, was to compare the pattern of psychological dysfunction in patients with RSD to the pattern of dysfunction in patients with chronic back pain and local neuropathic pain. Patients with back pain resemble those with RSD in that both may report symptoms that cannot be reconciled with objective physical findings. Patients with local neuropathy, by contrast, report pain that is both circumscribed and consistent with a known organic cause. The records of 253 patients attending a tertiary pain service were retrospectively reviewed and three distinct (non-overlapping) diagnostic groups were formed: 25 were assigned to the RSD group; 44 to the back pain group; and 21 to the local neuropathy group. Using a set of stringent criteria to diagnose RSD and an analysis of covariance to control for differences in symptom duration and age, the present study found no evidence to suggest that patients with RSD were psychologically unique. Instead, RSD patients were remarkably similar to those with local neuropathy in terms of their symptom reporting, illness behavior, and psychological distress. The only exception was that RSD patients had more disability days during the preceding 6 months than those with local neuropathy ( P<0.05). The back pain group, on the other hand, presented with more diffuse pain complaints ( P<0.05) and had a greater number of non-specific medical symptoms ( P<0.05) compared to either the RSD or local neuropathy group. In contrast to previous research using less stringent diagnostic criteria, there was no evidence of higher pain scores or lower levels of psychological distress among patients with RSD. In addition, a validated survey of childhood trauma found that sexual abuse, physical abuse, emotional abuse, and cumulative trauma were evenly distributed among all three diagnostic groups. The burden of proof would appear to be upon those who advocate the non-organic hypothesis to provide credible evidence of psychological involvement in the etiology of RSD.

Suicide in special populations and circumstances: A review

Suicide is associated with certain diagnoses. In addition to its association with depression, suicide is related to panic disorder, borderline personality disorder, and schizophrenia, more so than other psychological disorders. Therefore, full understanding of the individual, including his or her psychiatric diagnosis, is important in dealing with someone who is suicidal. Suicide is associated with certain traumas. The trauma of physical and sexual abuse as a child increases risk both in childhood and in adulthood. In studying the connection between different types of abuse and suicide, prospective research is needed that uses clear definitions and distinguishes between physical, sexual, and combined abuse. Also, the trauma of contracting AIDS may heighten suicide risk, particularly near the time of HIV testing or if dementia or drug treatment clouds consciousness. At these times clinicians should take special care to assess for suicidality. Suicide is associated with certain groups more than others. Adolescents, the elderly, and certain ethnic groups, such as Caucasians, have higher rates than others. Prevention strategies that acknowledge the uniqueness of the individual and take place at home, in school, and in the community have become extremely important. Suicide may be contagious. Contagion is more likely if the model is a celebrity, if the publicity is extensive, and if people are asked about others rather than themselves. Suicide is so complex that current knowledge, though enabling us to predict which special populations and circumstances increase risk, is not sufficient to predict the specific individuals who will attempt or succeed in killing themselves.

Factors protecting against the development of adjustment difficulties in young adults exposed to childhood sexual abuse

Objective: The aims of this study were to identify the factors which discriminated young people exposed to childhood sexual abuse (CSA) who developed psychiatric disorder or adjustment difficulties in young adulthood from those young people exposed to CSA who did not develop psychiatric disorder or adjustment difficulties by age 18. Method: Data were gathered on a birth cohort of 1,025 New Zealand children studied from birth to the age of 18 on (a) exposure to CSA; (b) patterns of psychiatric disorder and adjustment difficulties at age 18 years; (c) factors that may have influenced responses to CSA including characteristics of the abuse, parental bonding, parental characteristics, and adolescent peer affiliations. Results: Just over 10% of the cohort reported CSA. Those reporting CSA were at increased risks of a range of difficulties at age 18 (depression, anxiety, conduct disorder, alcohol abuse/dependence, other substance abuse/dependence, post sexual abuse trauma, attempted suicide). However, not all of those exposed to CSA developed difficulties and approximately a quarter of those exposed to CSA did not meet criteria for any adjustment difficulty. Further analysis suggested that the extent of adjustment difficulties in those exposed to CSA was influenced by two additional factors: (a) the extent of affiliations with delinquent or substance using peers in adolescence; and (b) the extent of paternal care or support in childhood. Conclusions: The findings of this study suggest that while young people exposed to CSA are at increased risks of psychiatric disorder and adjustment difficulties in young adulthood, not all individuals exposed to CSA will develop adjustment difficulties. Important factors protecting against the development of adjustment difficulties in young people experiencing CSA appear to be the nature and quality of peer and family relationships.

Good enough fairy tales for resolving sexual abuse trauma

Good enough fairy tales for resolving sexual abuse trauma

Victim's Response Cycle: A Model for Understanding the Incestuous Victim-Offender Relationship

ABSTRACT The victim-response cycle is a theoretical and clinical model that can be utilized to assist victims in their healing from the trauma of sexual abuse. This model focuses on the specific aspects of the relationship that victims have with their offenders, particularly in incest cases, which contribute to the degree of trauma that victims experience. This relationship can also become the model for other relationships as the victim matures, and the victim-response cycle can be used to assist these adult survivors in understanding their difficulties with adult intimate relationships. This model addresses aspects of attachment and learned coping responses to assist clinicians in treating symptomatic behavior. While severe trauma is rarely treatable with a short-term approach, this model can assist in providing clients and clinicians with tools for symptomatic relief, which may be achievable in a short-term setting. This model has not been examined empirically, but it has been utilized in several outpat...

Attitudes Toward Male and Female Victims of Sexual Assault

Abstract Although there is evidence that men and women respond similarly to the trauma of sexual assault, observers are likely to make differential judgments of psychological sequelae based on the sex of the victim. A sample of 180 undergraduates responded to hypothetical assault vignettes varying by victim sex and level of victim-attacker acquaintance to assess any such attributional differences. Results revealed that although participants were equally empathic to male and female victims, female victims were perceived as more trusting and attributed with more responsibility for not having foreseen the attack and men were blamed more for not physically repelling the attackers. Authoritarianism and just world scores were found to be poor predictors of attitudes toward victims. Responses to categorical questions qualified by comments indicated that although same-sex counselors were perceived as mandatory for female victimes, the need for such matching was less important for male victimes. Results are discus...

Treating sexual abuse trauma with dually diagnosed women.

Women who are diagnosed with a major mental illness, who have a history of drug or alcohol abuse, and who have been episodically homeless are also likely to have been the victims of sexual or physical abuse. Treatment for these women needs to incorporate an active program of trauma recovery. A program of trauma-based treatment that includes supportive group therapy, cognitive reframing, and social skills training is discussed along with clinical examples.

The Recovery of Memory, Fantasy, and Desire: Feminist Approaches to Sexual Abuse and Psychic Trauma

Previous articleNext article No AccessThe Recovery of Memory, Fantasy, and Desire: Feminist Approaches to Sexual Abuse and Psychic TraumaJanice HaakenJanice Haaken Search for more articles by this author PDFPDF PLUS Add to favoritesDownload CitationTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints Share onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail SectionsMoreDetailsFiguresReferencesCited by Signs Volume 21, Number 4Summer, 1996Feminist Theory and Practice Article DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1086/495132 Views: 28Total views on this site Citations: 24Citations are reported from Crossref Copyright 1996 The University of ChicagoPDF download Crossref reports the following articles citing this article:Lisa Hodge A Story of Language, Meaning and Power, (Mar 2021): 29–70.https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-33-6296-3_2Lisa Hodge Situating Silence in Child Sexual Abuse, (Mar 2021): 221–266.https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-33-6296-3_7Sarbani Banerjee Gender submerging the caste–class question? Revisiting Jyotirmoyee Devi’s The River Churning, Journal of Postcolonial Writing 56, no.66 (Jun 2020): 734–746.https://doi.org/10.1080/17449855.2020.1765190Jamie L. Small Constructing Sexual Harm: Prosecutorial Narratives of Children, Abuse, and the Disruption of Heterosexuality, Gender & Society 33, no.44 (May 2019): 560–582.https://doi.org/10.1177/0891243219846598Freya Johnson The Writing-Machine as Method: Affect, Acker, and the Traumatized Subject, GeoHumanities 5, no.11 (Apr 2019): 54–68.https://doi.org/10.1080/2373566X.2019.1586561Ana Belén Martínez García Denouncing Human Trafficking in China: North Korean Women's Memoirs as Evidence, State Crime Journal 8, no.11 (Jan 2019).https://doi.org/10.13169/statecrime.8.1.0059Georgia Ovenden Young women's management of victim and survivor identities, Culture, Health & Sexuality 14, no.88 (Sep 2012): 941–954.https://doi.org/10.1080/13691058.2012.710762Victoria Bates ‘Misery Loves Company’: Sexual Trauma, Psychoanalysis and the Market for Misery, Journal of Medical Humanities 33, no.22 (Mar 2012): 61–81.https://doi.org/10.1007/s10912-012-9172-x Soyoung Park “Survival is the Least of My Desires”: Testimony, Shame, and Desire in Dorothy Allison’s Bastard Out of Carolina, Feminist Studies in English Literature 18, no.22 (Dec 2010): 57–85.https://doi.org/10.15796/fsel.2010.18.2.003 Introduction, (Jan 2009): 1–34.https://doi.org/10.1215/9780822391401-001 Historical Trauma and the Performance of Talking Heads, (Jan 2009): 35–76.https://doi.org/10.1215/9780822391401-002 The Embodied Immediacy of Direct Action, (Jan 2009): 77–111.https://doi.org/10.1215/9780822391401-003 Related Bodies, (Jan 2009): 113–150.https://doi.org/10.1215/9780822391401-004 Queer Anachronism and the Testimonial Space of Song, (Jan 2009): 151–183.https://doi.org/10.1215/9780822391401-005 Gay Cinephilia and the Cherished Body of Experimental Film, (Jan 2009): 185–215.https://doi.org/10.1215/9780822391401-006 Sound, Image, and the Corporeal Implication of Witnessing, (Jan 2009): 217–240.https://doi.org/10.1215/9780822391401-007 Afterword, (Jan 2009): 241–252.https://doi.org/10.1215/9780822391401-008 Notes, (Jan 2009): 253–290.https://doi.org/10.1215/9780822391401-009 Bibliography, (Jan 2009): 291–306.https://doi.org/10.1215/9780822391401-010Pramod K. Nayar Trauma, Testimony, and Human Rights: Women's Atrocity Narratives from Postcolonial India, South Asian Review 29, no.11 (Dec 2017): 27–44.https://doi.org/10.1080/02759527.2008.11932576Maria Papadima II. Caught between Feminism and Psychoanalysis: Researching Child Abuse, Feminism & Psychology 17, no.33 (Jul 2016): 302–308.https://doi.org/10.1177/0959353507079083Anne Wagner, Jamie Lynn Magnusson Neglected realities: exploring the impact of women’s experiences of violence on learning in sites of higher education, Gender and Education 17, no.44 (Aug 2006): 449–461.https://doi.org/10.1080/09540250500145189Pam Green Lister Feminist Dilemmas in Data Analysis, Qualitative Social Work 2, no.11 (Nov 2016): 45–59.https://doi.org/10.1177/1473325003002001280 Carine M. Mardorossian Toward a New Feminist Theory of Rape Mardorossian, Signs: Journal of Women in Culture and Society 27, no.33 (Jul 2015): 743–775.https://doi.org/10.1086/337938

The validation of the Trauma Symptom Checklist-40 (TSC-40) in a sample of inpatients

This study examined the construct validity of the Trauma Symptom Checklist-40 (TSC-40; Elliot & Briere, 1992) in a sample of 130 female psychiatric inpatients. Consistent with other findings, the TSC-40 displayed criterion-related validity in relation to childhood sexual abuse. Survivors of sexual abuse obtained significantly higher scores than those without such a history on the overall TSC-40 and on each of the six subscales, except the Depression subscale. Convergent validity of three subscales was demonstrated, and divergent validity on the total TSC-40 and each of its subscales was established. Further, among a range of abuse-effects measures, the Sexual Abuse Trauma Index (SATI) subscale was the most powerful predictor of sexual abuse. The SATI and Dissociation subscales were the subscales most sensitive to the specific features of the sexual abuse.