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Psychological Sequelae in Adult Females Reporting Childhood Ritualistic Abuse

NCJ Number
156457
Journal
Child Abuse and Neglect Volume: 19 Issue: 8 Dated: (August 1995) Pages: 975-984
Author(s)
K J Lawrence; L Cozolino; D W Foy
Date Published
1995
Length
10 pages
Annotation
This study seeks to increase current scientific knowledge about subjectively reported childhood ritualistic abuse by addressing several key unresolved issues. In particular, the authors explore the possibility that those reporting ritualistic abuse may be characterized primarily by the severity of their abuse histories or the severity of their present psychological symptoms, rather than the veridicality of the ritualistic events.
Abstract
Adult female outpatients reporting childhood sexual abuse with ritualistic features were compared with a second group of women who reported childhood sexual abuse without ritualism. Measures included characteristics of childhood sexual and physical abuse, current posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) diagnostic status and symptom severity, and severity of current dissociative experiences. Women reporting ritualistic features scored significantly higher on measures of childhood sexual and physical abuse. Neither PTSD diagnostic status nor severity for PTSD nor dissociative experiences were significantly different between the groups. While preliminary in nature, these results suggest that it may be helpful to conceptualize reported childhood ritualistic abuse as indicative of the need to assess carefully for severe abuse and its predictable sequelae within existing traumatic victimization conceptual frameworks. Tables, references