NCJ Number
181614
Journal
Child Maltreatment Volume: 5 Issue: 1 Dated: February 2000 Pages: 28-38
Editor(s)
Mark Chaffin
Date Published
2000
Length
11 pages
Annotation
Women with histories of child sexual abuse participated in a study designed to test a model for predicting adolescent and adult sexual revictimization and post-assault functioning.
Abstract
Participants were 860 female undergraduates; 221 had histories of child sexual abuse. They completed anonymous questionnaires regarding their sexual victimization histories, post-sexual assault symptoms and attributions, and consensual sexual behavior. Repeated victimization was defined as having experienced child sexual abuse and a separate incident of adolescent or adult victimization. Repeated victimization was associated with having experienced child sexual abuse involving physical contact, including intercourse and/or penetration. Women with repeated victimization engaged in more self-blame, reported higher levels of post-traumatic symptoms, and reported more high-risk sexual behavior. A path model was developed that indicated the relationship between revictimization and child sexual abuse was mediated by self-blame, post-traumatic symptoms, and consensual sexual activity. The author notes the need for further research on revictimization and suggests areas for intervention to prevent sexual revictimization. 46 references, 3 tables, and 2 figures