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DIFFERENTIAL EFFECTS OF ABUSE CHARACTERISTICS AND ATTACHMENT IN THE PREDICTION OF LONG-TERM EFFECTS OF SEXUAL ABUSE

NCJ Number
144440
Journal
Journal of Interpersonal Violence Volume: 8 Issue: 3 Dated: (September 1993) Pages: 346-362
Author(s)
P C Alexander
Date Published
1993
Length
17 pages
Annotation
The effects of adult attachment during childhood and the severity of child sexual abuse on the long-term functioning of incest survivors was studied using a sample of 112 adult women who had been molested as children.
Abstract
The participants had an average age of 37 years and were mostly white. For 50 percent, the main perpetrator was their natural father; for 24 percent, their stepfather; for 11 percent, their brother; for 4 percent, their grandfather living in the home; for 3 percent, their mother; and for 9 percent, other persons living in the home. The average age of onset was 6.6 years. Participants completed the Beck Depression Inventory, the Symptom Checklist-10, the Impact of Event Scale, the MCMI-II, and the Relationship Questionnaire (a measure of adult attachment). The data were analyzed by means of hierarchical regression analyses. Results indicated that the characteristics of child sexual abuse, particularly an early age of onset, predicted depression, intrusive thoughts, and, to a lesser degree, avoidance of memories of the abuse. These symptoms were consistent with a traditional conceptualization of post-traumatic stress disorder. In addition, adult attachment, particularly a lack of secure attachment, predicted avoidance of memories of the abuse. Moreover, adult attachment predicted avoidant, dependent, self-defeating, and borderline personality disorders. Findings suggested the importance, for some clients, of making a feeling of trust the goal of therapy, because trust is necessary for being willing to talk about the abuse and may also generalize to other interpersonal relationships. Tables and 46 references