NCJ Number
210595
Journal
Child Sexual Abuse Volume: 14 Issue: 2 Dated: 2005 Pages: 49-68
Date Published
2005
Length
20 pages
Annotation
This Canadian study examined self-harming behaviors in a sample of 149 female adolescent victims of sexual abuse.
Abstract
Only confirmed cases of sexual abuse with physical contact were included in the study. Participants were administered the Self-Destructive Behaviors Inventory, which addresses five dimensions of self-destructive behavior: self-mutilation, eating disorders, rejection of help, dangerous acting out, and substance abuse. Other instruments administered were the Trauma Symptom Checklist for Children, which assesses the level of five dimensions of posttraumatic distress (depression, anxiety, posttraumatic stress, dissociation, and anger) and sexual concerns; the Achenbach Youth Self-Report, which measures various internalized and externalized problems; and the Sexual Abuse History Questionnaire, which measures characteristics of sexual abuse. The analysis determined the rates of nine types of self-mutilating behavior at intake and 9 months later. The study also investigated the comorbidity of clinical correlates associated with these behaviors. Of the 149 participants, 62.1 percent engaged in at least 1 type of self-mutilating behavior. A graded relationship was observed between the level of self-mutilating behavior and the rate and total number of clinical disorders. At the 9-month follow-up, 25 percent of the sample still reported a moderate or high level of self-harming behaviors. The article concludes with a discussion of the need for the systematic assessment of self-mutilating behavior and related interventions. 3 tables and 49 references