NCJ Number
193385
Journal
Child Maltreatment Volume: 7 Issue: 1 Dated: February 2002 Pages: 9-25
Date Published
February 2002
Length
17 pages
Annotation
This article reviews the literature on the relationships among childhood sexual or physical abuse, attributions, and adjustment.
Abstract
Abuse-specific and general attributions appear to play a role in adjustment following child physical or sexual abuse. Research indicates abuse-specific internal attributions (self-blame) are related to greater levels of interpersonal problems and internalizing problems, such as depression and anxiety, but are unrelated to externalizing problems. In contrast, abuse-specific external attributions appear to be more strongly associated with externalizing problems and interpersonal problems. With respect to general attributions, a pessimistic attributional style has been consistently associated with higher levels of depression and anxiety in abused individuals but has inconsistently been linked with post traumatic stress syndrome (PTSD) symptomatology. A greater external locus of control appears to be associated with higher levels of both internalizing and externalizing behaviors. Dangerous world beliefs and hostile attributional bias appear to contribute to externalizing and internalizing problems in children who have been physically abused. Dangerous world beliefs have inconsistently been linked to both internalizing and externalizing problems of children who have been sexually abused. Experiencing physical abuse appears to be related to a greater external locus of control. Research on attributions following child abuse incidents has primarily focused on child sexual abuse. The relationships between some patterns of attributions and adjustment appear to be similar for individuals who experienced child physical and sexual abuse. Research on abuse attributions is in its early stages, particularly in regards to child physical abuse, and has yet to evolve completely consistent operational definitions, measures, and methodologies. Despite challenges, future research in abuse attributions and adjustment is considered fruitful because of its potential to directly inform intervention practice. 1 table, 123 references