NCJ Number
161931
Journal
Journal of Interpersonal Violence Volume: 11 Issue: 2 Dated: (June 1996) Pages: 162-180
Date Published
1996
Length
19 pages
Annotation
This study examined the relationships among abuse-related attributions and perceptions, general attributions, and locus of control and symptom formation in sexually abused girls; the study was specifically interested in the relative contribution of each of these factors to symptom development in this population.
Abstract
Two groups of subjects were recruited for the study between October 1990 and September 1992. All subjects were girls between the ages of 7 and 12 years. A total of 77 abused girls and 88 normal controls were administered the Children's Attributions and Perceptions Scale (CAPS), Children's Attributional Style Questionnaire (CASQ), and the Locus of Control Scale for Children (LCSC). There were significant group differences on all of the CAPS subscales and the "bad event" factor of the CASQ, with the abused group endorsing significantly more abuse-related attributions and perceptions and general attributions than controls. Furthermore, correlational and regression analyses showed that in the sexually abused group, abuse-related attributions and perceptions were the most significantly related to and predictive of self-reported psychological symptomatology. Clinical and research implications are discussed in the context of the evolving literature on those factors that affect the psychological adjustment of victimized children. 5 tables and 34 references