NCJ Number
210546
Journal
Violence and Victims Volume: 19 Issue: 6 Dated: December 2004 Pages: 627-643
Date Published
December 2004
Length
17 pages
Annotation
This study explored possible determinants and covariates of self-destructive and delinquent behaviors in a sample of sexually abused adolescent females.
Abstract
A vast body of research has documented the association between child sexual abuse (CSA) and several types of deleterious behavioral outcomes in youths and adults. Yet little is known about the potential mediating factors that may differentiate sexually abused girls who suffer deleterious behavioral outcomes from those who do not suffer such consequences. The current study assessed self-destructive and delinquent behaviors in three samples of adolescent females. The first sample consisted of 140 substantiated female adolescent victims of CSA who were recruited from clinical settings. The second sample comprised 430 non-abused female secondary school students, while the third sample contained 94 female students from the same school who self-reported CSA victimization. Participants completed a series of questionnaires assessing self-destructive behaviors, criminal behaviors, trauma symptoms, family problems, characteristics of sexual abuse, and attitudes toward mother and father. Comparisons of the three groups revealed few differences between the two CSA groups; both CSA groups reported significantly more at-risk behaviors than the non-group abused. The discussion compares the rates of specific problematic behaviors for the three groups of adolescent females. Family adversity was consistently associated with both self-destructive and delinquent behaviors in CSA female adolescents. Future research should focus on the motivations for self-injurious behavior. Tables, references