Child Sexual Abuse Victims' Perception of Paternal Support as a Significant Predictor of Coping Style and Global Self-Worth

• NCJ Number: 202963
• Journal: Journal of Child Sexual Abuse Volume: 11 Issue: 4 Dated: 2002 Pages: 53-72
• Author(s): Jennifer W. Guelzow; Patricia F. Cornett; Thomas M. Dougherty
• Date Published: 2002
• Length: 20 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This article examines the effects of child sexual abuse (CSA) on adjustment, such as social support, coping strategies, and global self-worth.

Abstract

Adjustment is defined as one’s ability to maintain a positive global self-worth. The differences between victims and nonvictims of CSA were examined on social support systems (friend, maternal, paternal, instructor, and campus), coping strategies (task-focused, emotion-focused, and avoidance-focused), and global self-worth. It was hypothesized that victims of CSA would be more likely to report poor social support systems, maladaptive coping strategies, and low global self-worth than nonvictims. The study aimed to determine the impact of mediating variables, such as social support systems and coping strategies, on global self-worth. One hundred eighty-eight female participants (44 victims and 144 nonvictims) from a 4-year university were recruited. Pearson Correlation Coefficient and Regression Analyses were performed to examine the impact of victimization, social support, and coping strategies on global self-worth. The results show that maternal support was found to be the only significant factor between victims and nonvictims of CSA. CSA victims perceived their mothers to be less understanding and more indifferent and emotionally detached than did nonvictims. The impact of maternal support became even more apparent when the victims’ relationship with their perpetrators was examined. Victims perceived more support from their mothers when the perpetrator was a male family member than when the perpetrator was nonfamilial. Victimization indirectly related to global self-worth through paternal support. Additional analyses examining nonvictims showed significant direct relations between paternal, friend, and campus support leading to global self-worth. For victims, paternal support indirectly related to global self-worth through emotion-focused coping. These results indicate that paternal support and coping strategies may be important for later psychological adjustment in victims of CSA. 3 figures, 3 tables, 59 references