NCJ Number
212016
Journal
Child Maltreatment Volume: 10 Issue: 4 Dated: November 2005 Pages: 337-349
Date Published
November 2005
Length
13 pages
Annotation
This study examined the persistence of shame related to sexual abuse over a 6-year period.
Abstract
A wide array of research has identified the emotion of shame as a common consequence of child sexual abuse. Previous studies have shown that shame for the abuse is common at the time of discovery and then wanes over the course of 1 year. The current research extends this work by examining the persistence of shame over a 6-year period through a longitudinal analysis of 118 sexually abused youth who were interviewed at the time of discovery and then again 1 year and 6 years later. The assessments administered at each interview included measures of abuse characteristics, abuse-related shame, general shame and guilt proneness, posttraumatic stress symptoms, and social support variables. Results of statistical analyses indicated that youth with high levels of shame for abuse at years 1 and 6 also displayed clinically significant intrusive recollections at 6 years. The persistence of shame over time may interfere with the ability to process the abuse. The findings suggest that treatment programs for survivors of child sexual abuse should target shame as a mechanism to recovery. Figures, appendix, references