NCJ Number
195513
Journal
Journal of Child Sexual Abuse Volume: 10 Issue: 2 Dated: 2001 Pages: 101-120
Date Published
2001
Length
20 pages
Annotation
This study attempted to develop a more complex measure of experiential avoidance in women with and without a childhood sexual abuse (CSA) history and to explore variables related to two long-term correlates of CSA, general psychological distress and high-risk sexual behavior.
Abstract
The theory of experiential avoidance as a mediator of psychopathology was extended to the psychological sequel experienced by survivors of childhood sexual abuse (CSA). Experiential avoidance, a style of responding to private events, is defined as a process where a person is unwilling to experience negatively evaluated private events, such as feelings, thoughts, or memories. The study set out to determine the relationship between avoidance-related subscales of various self-report measures and examine the difference on these measures between women who did and did not report a history of CSA. It was hypothesized that CSA survivors would be higher than other women on measures of experiential avoidance and that experiential avoidance and childhood abuse history would predict adult symptomatology. Study participants consisted of 257 female undergraduate students age 18 or greater at a university in the Western part of the United States. Study findings supported the theory that experiential avoidance was seen at higher levels in women who reported being survivors of CSA. Results also demonstrated that women with a history of CSA reported a higher level of risky behavior in the past 4 months with non-primary sexual partners. Study limitations are presented, as well as implications for intervention and prevention programs. Tables and references